Web OSs
Just thought this could lead to an interesting discussion:
Check out a web OS. Basically the idea is to use a browser to simulate a desktop environment. When fullscreened you get everything from a start menu to "applications" powered by javascript. They save all your documents, settings, etc remotely, so you can access your "computer" from anywhere.
The more I think about it, the more brilliant I start to think the idea is. Perhaps going to start gaining some popularity?
Also interesting to think about from a security perspective. Gives web attacks access to more personal documents, etc. Pull off an XSS or CSRF, and get at some real documents/wreak more havoc. Launch a virus-like custom "app" to infect more accounts. Definitely interesting to poke around.
Huh, that's interesting. Seeing Google make that call means they think the idea has some merit. I'll be excited to play around with it!
The idea definitely has some weak points, but the strong points are there too. Allowing common users to access files securely, without knowing how to SSH. And at the same time be manipulating those files, under a pretty interface. And bring some basic apps with you wherever you go.
Ditto… if I have secure data, I like when I can pull the storage hard drive out so it's in my control… obviously, Google's OS and other cloud based apps do not allow for this and it's scary with how 90% of people think a 4 letter lower-case only password is secure for their work computers, mixed with this type of OS!
You would never store any sensitive data on a web OS, for sure. The transfer of data is slow and potentially vulnerable, this is true. But there is still convenience to be offered, which people will take. They like that kind of thing! There are lots of alternatives right now, and they're offering semi social network like functionality. I bet one of them will start to beat out the others via network effect like facebook. Next few years roll by we'll see what happens!
Put some school stuff on there, and it was interesting to use. Had to tunnel to my home connection to get around the school filter anyways, but it was pretty cool. If their word processing app were more advanced, I could see myself using it.
I agree it's scary how users with short and ridiculous passwords would use this, opening up lots more of their data. Could probably run a common username/password attack and get into a fair number of accounts.
I agree it is a security risk, which is why I posted it here to begin with. Whether or not you think it's a good idea, there are still lots of users out there with data, and the topic is interesting.
This is basically a more in depth version of a thin client. A lot of enterprise users are set up like this. This also looks a lot like Virtual Machines would end up being. Yes for personal use it is not something that people would want to do, as you have to depend on an internet connection and the store of the information out of your control, however, in a business situation this is great.
IT teams love this type of this, as all information is centralized and they will not have to fear for lack of backups of information as they just will have to backup one centralized data server :D
If you disagree, please let me know why, I do not like the "Bad Idea" and "Worst Idea Ever" statements because they are not detailed. You make a valid argument as to WHY it is bad and I will think it over :evil:
I posted some arguments in the other thread on this subject, it pretty much boiled down to "lolno" and "you're sending whatnow over the web?".
Centralized information? Ha. It's my fear, not a convenience.
If anything we should move -away- from webservices (like gmail, and even google) and store -more- clientside.
I am not arguing the ability of this in the Personal world being hell. It is. However, many of the top companies in the world use centralized systems. Banks, Telecommunications, ISPs, and many other items. If there is a large amount of data, the lack of duplication is a godsend. that way incorrect information is not passed on. Just think if every time you edited a document you saved it as a different file name. now think of that in the thousands. Imagine, 1000 people worked on one file. This could end up being a cluster of garbage if the file system was not centralized.
How about databases. Should they be no more? They are basically this in a very basic form. There are many things that people take for granted and they do not really think before spouting off. Yes, something like this on a personal level is hell. I totally agree, however, if you had thousands of people working on the same information, each with their own personal copy of said information, would centralization not make every ones life thousands of times better?
Anyways, my rant is over here. Please prove me wrong :evil:
I completely agree with you in a business setting. While less convenient for the user, maybe, they are much better for the IT team and their budget. They use a thin client setup at my school, and being somewhat familiar with the systems, I have seen how much incredibly better this is.
"Oh, a software vulnerability? Lets go around and manually update every computer or expect the user to do it, but in the end it probably won't get them all done, even after wasting all that time. I guess we could also just make a script, but can our users deal with the slow down? Oh crap, right, what if some machines are off?"
Is way worse than:
"Oh, a software vulnerability? Lets just update the main image."
However, thin clients are also slow, and nobody wants personal information in the hands of other people, so for as far as personal use things are better kept on your own computer.
AldarHawk wrote: How about databases. Should they be no more? They are basically this in a very basic form. There are many things that people take for granted and they do not really think before spouting off. Yes, something like this on a personal level is hell. I totally agree, however, if you had thousands of people working on the same information, each with their own personal copy of said information, would centralization not make every ones life thousands of times better?
This is what SVN is for…. There is no need to make everyone deal with the annoyance of thin clients (or things like them) when it's as easy as just keeping only the data your working on centralized.
well, I think it's somewhere in between. People still want convenience, which is why there are such things like fast food and sports replays. Cloud computing provides them the convenience they need, probably while eating a Big Mac while watching last night's football match.
And some of the problems can be addressed, for example, the service must make it mandatory for users to enter a password with minimum 8 characters, both upper case and lower case, as well as numbers, like the one in PHPFreaks.
But I think the service would be more beneficial for large businesses in the long run, since they usually need the information they requested be sent to them asap. Cloud computing makes it more convenient as they can access the centralized data pool instead of having to download them from individual servers, some of which might contain duplicates of the same info or even outdated information.
Normal users, however, would still store their information in storage media, since they're used to that method already. A common problem is the intrusion of privacy, and this is understandable since some companies might crack under pressure by certain parties to release the data stored in the cloud. I suggest maybe encrypting the data before you upload it into the cloud, this way only those who have the key can encrypt it and read it.
is a simulation I came across, though javascript driven.
Regardless though you have to remember all of the web exploits that are already present and realize that all of them are feasible if not more potent on such a system.