By Nicholas G CarrIn this Book Nicholas Carr looks at the development of utility or cloud computing, simply defined as computing servies provided over the internet as opposed to those locally hosted, and how it will change society.
The first half of the book compares the development of cloud computing to that of electricity as a utility (The First Big Switch) in late nineteenth and early twentieth century America.
The second half of the book looks at the social consequences of this revolution and leans rather to a dystopian view of the future, with some trenchant comments on privacy, ownership and access.
Carr is also pessimistic about the future of cultural life. Believing that the Internet is resposible for a tidal wave of freely available mediocrity (such as book reviews on library websites) produced by enthusiastic but talentless amateurs.
A fasinating read, but not a particularly cheerful one.
David Hughes
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