7 Things … About Organizing Files in the Cloud

 

I scanned through a couple of Educause’s “7 Things You Should Know About …” and found them engaging, easy to read and to the point.  I chose 7 Things You Should Know About Organizing Files in the Cloud as it is a topic that I have been investigating on my own.  I currently do not own multiple devices, but even so I am finding that emailing documents from home to work, or transferring from lap top to desk top via flash drive is time consuming and inconvenient.  I had a basic understanding of “the cloud” but little personal experience beyond Google Docs and found that this article gave me a much better understanding of what is available and what is meant by cloud-based file services, as well as some of the potential problems.

 

This article begins with a scenario which engages the reader and provides practical reasons why the storing files in the cloud might be helpful.  The article goes on to explain what cloud-based file services are, how they work, who uses them, why they are important, potential problems or issues, where the technology might lead and how cloud-based storage opportunities might impact education.   The report explained cloud-based file storage concisely but with enough detail that someone new to the concept would understand it and it laid out the benefits, different levels of availability and cost and potential downsides and security issues in a realistic, fairly unbiased manner. 

 

This report would be valuable to any educator who is unfamiliar with cloud-based file services.  It shows how students and educators might use the technology and why it would be valuable, as well as what concerns are connected with it.  Depending on the type of product, someone specializing in new educational technology might want to be aware of cloud-based file services to ensure that their product can be stored and accessed through these services.  The concept of storing and accessing files through the cloud could also affect how new educational technology is packaged and delivered.  As the trend to store data in the cloud increases, providing online access to new technology rather than having the purchaser load it directly on to their computer may be an important selling point for many new applications.

I will definitely use “7 Things You Should Know” in the future.   The articles provide a basic explanation of new technology in an appealing two page format.  The only weakness that I saw in the articles was that they are very basic explanations.  This appeals to me as I often want the basic definition and implications and am not a natural “technophile”.  For someone who is more technologically savvy, the articles would probably not be comprehensive or detailed enough.  However, for sharing with a colleague or student who is trying to implement new technology out of their comfort zone, these articles would be very helpful.

 

Reference:

Educause Learning Initiative (2011).  7 things you should know about … organizing files in the cloud.  Retrieved online from:  http://www.educause.edu/Resources/7ThingsYouShouldKnowAboutOrgan/230127

 

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