Hi there Rick, 1. Thanks for taking the time to write this. 2. I know next to nothing about cloud computing. 3. Here are a few thoughts: a: From your post I was able to understand that Cloud computing isn't perfect. What is? b: You gave a single, albeit catastrophic, example of a glitch in a system, and used it to cast doubt on the system as a whole - that looks like faulty logic to me. c: I don't know much, but I do know that cloud computing is still in it's infancy. This is a good thing because it means that we can expect better performance in the future. With the rate of technological advancement being what it is, and the financial potential that cloud computing holds, I'm willing to bet that this future is nearer rather than farther. d: My sincere condolences to the people at Ylastic. I hope they never suffer such setbacks again and pray that their recent trials helped them improve their operation. All the best and have a great weekend, Mike Darnell, @pop_art http://DigitalArtPrintGallery. - mike darnell via FriendFeed MT Plugin

Hey Rick, Great article and great reminder that no matter what the technology, companies need to have a plan for backing up data and testing the validity of those backups. As the CTO of two different start-up over the last 8 years, I can tell you that I've seen almost every type of failure out there. I currently use cloud computing for some of my clients and while (on the whole) I really like it, I still realize that they're not immune to failures. I believe part of the challenge for those of us responsible for the data comes from the good things cloud computing has brought us. The appeal (and ultimately the source of problems for companies like Ylastic) is in the set-it-and-forget-it mindset that cloud computing offers. Companies sell the ideas that I don't have to worry about server maintenance and backups - they've got it covered. I can focus instead on the growth of the business. On the whole, they're right. But it's a false sense of security when it's taken to the extreme conclusion that I will nev - Travis Robertson via FriendFeed MT Plugin