The Cloud

    I like the term "cloud computing" and the visualization it implies.  The Internet seems like some bright, misty place that magically stores information and runs computations for us.  In reality the connectivity created by the Internet is what really makes these things possible.  The abilities that the Internet has granted us do seem magical in many ways and can be used to create great archives of information that would be impossible to create otherwise.  Dr. Wilkes showed us how he has used the cloud for his, and all bee keepers, benefit.  By creating a place where bee keepers can store information about their hives for their own personal use, he has compiled a large, ever growing,  database full of statistics ready to be analyzed in ways that will benefit bee keepers everywhere.  The cloud has other uses than collecting and analyzing statistics.  It has served as a key tool in social and political change in multiple countries.  Actually, without the Internet and its "cloud" many modern day social movements would not be possible.  The power of the Internet never ceases to amaze.