October 5, 2023
(This was recorded at Monk’s BBQ in lovely downtown Purcellville, Va)
Sometimes, you need to pull back and try to separate reality from the shenanigans.
During today’s interview, world-famous David Linthicum pulls back the curtain on many of the misconceptions of federal cloud technology and puts a focus on reality.
In some academic circles, David would be classified as an “iconoclast.” This is quite an impressive word that means a person who attacks or criticizes beliefs. The perfect summary for David’s latest book, An Insider’s Guide to Cloud Computing.
Let us just take a few of the opinions that go against common beliefs.
Page 33 “What if the best cloud storage is not always in the cloud?” Well, finally. It takes someone with David’s decades of experience to stand up to the “common wisdom” that the cloud is the magical elixir for all problems.
Page 87 “Edge computing will increase development and cloud computing cost threefold” David is stating the obvious. We know that sensors are everywhere from mountains to oceans, to satellites. In a never-ending attempt to compute at the “edge,” we can sometimes neglect to closely examine cost.
"There's about $20 billion of marketing out there in the cloud space. And so it's very difficult to get to the real answers. And so what's the pragmatic use of this technology? "
Page 106 “Cost is overlooked when considering best development and architectural approaches” Spending like a drunken sailor will have to stop. Just because it is possible does not mean it is the correct approach for a federal agency with a budget.
Page 69 “When is Artificial Intelligence overkill?” Whether we like it or not, humans do tend to get obsessed with the most current shiny object. Unfortunately, they also apply it to every situation imaginable. In the early days of Excel, I once met a person who loved the flexibility of the spreadsheet so much that she used it for a newsletter. Right tool; wrong application.
During the interview, David expands upon where marketing people may have over-emphasized the strength of many cloud technologies.
Read the book to gain a better grasp on terms like “cloud native” and “cloud washing.” Sometimes, the best advice is a splash of chilly water in the face.
If you enjoyed this article, you may want to listen to Ep. 91 Insights on the National Cyber Security Strategy
John Gilroy
John Gilroy appeared on National Public Radio in Washington DC for 25 years. He wrote 523 technology columns for The Washington Post. Currently, John is an award-winning lecturer at Georgetown University. Forgot to mention — he has recorded over 1,000 podcast interviews.
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