Speaking as a software engineer with extensive data access experience from both desktop and web browsers the Cloud is crap! This whole push to get everything on your mobile phone is a pie in the sky dream. It also takes x times more security protocols and layers upon layers. You want security have a main database server(s) on a clustered failover schema and keep a subset of that data locally on desktop/laptop and replicate over a secure network as needed or in the least make data request to your own servers on your own network.
On another tangent I don’t care what version of HTMLx you will never get the rich functionality and robustness of a desktop interface. I hate web apps, but it is cheaper to make them because you can hire lower experienced developers cheaper to make the web pages and only have a couple of high priced devs as your data/logic guys or bypass that cost all together by mining someone else’s web service. Companies get into trouble when those lower devs start designing/implementing more complex systems without the proper experience and I don’t mean writing little household or mobile apps that return tonight’s menu at Bob’s Bar or maintaining a blog. Not to mention the stability of compiled languages over scripts.
Another beef is the Agile method. It has gotten so bastardized it is worthless. I just went to a company that is extreme Agile and trying to find any technical documentation on the code base is a dream or anyone who knows how the whole system works or at least most of it (and they want it that way). There are none. All the systems designed years ago when the waterfall method was used are still in use and stable. Sure, may have cost a bit more but they are worth it in the long run. I equate the Agile method to the mentality of today’s young gun developers and their propensity to only stay in a place long enough to get half done with a project and move on to another job spouting their experience and achievements to get a big boost, never finishing anything and leaving no documentation on anything and a hodge-podge of open source, plug-ins, and third party layers that always seem to need rebooting or re-installing/patching .
Pretty much my take on both topics as well.
Agile’s being used here to avoid accountability. 1 major group is using it, and they just do whatever the hell they want and nothing ever works. It requires more discipline to work, not less.
Another reason for this push to the cloud was tighter control of who is using the software. It is easier to monitor people hitting your site by a log in ID than track who has it installed locally and how many are using it under one license. SaaS has a continuous revenue string that can be measured and forecast rather than depending on off the shelve/download sales.
Another reason is the ability to scan your data. I don’t care who you are or what security you have, the government and anyone who wants to scans it. How do you think all the marketing studies and email come about? Don’t believe how easy it is, the next time you go to a watering hole that has free internet look around at the techies capturing your wireless signal to see what you are doing and they can get. There is always one or more around and they can be a hundred yards away in their car or an adjoining storefront.