Community poll forum: Biggest concern about switching to online applications

I would worry about all of the above as well. I don't care how much security/backup software they include. Hell no

People actually used online aps effectively back in the 1970's and 1980's, before personal computers were common. It worked too, even though connectivity was at speeds that are inconceivably slow today (110/300/1200 baud). Here is why it worked:
- No software was downloaded, since users had ''dumb terminals'' and a modem - no local storage or processing ability. Communications were limited to plain ASCII text. As we used to say, most people can't read at 100cps, so speed was not an issue in this environment.
- Connectivity was dial-up either directly to the server site, or via a secure packet network, often X.25 based in later years. This architecture basically limited hacking to password attacks.
- Most timesharing vendors, such as CompuServe, had very secure sites with UPSs, backup generators, and multipath datacom connectivity, so availability was not a problem.
- You could access your files from any place with telephone access. You also might have to lug around something like a TI Silent 700.
- At the time, this was the only way to play. No one expected or needed WYSIWYG word processing or spreadsheets; this was such an improvement over doing things manually that people loved it.

OK, so how does this apply to today? The Internet is basically insecure, server architectures are full of reliability and security holes, and user expectations require high-speed connectivity which is not universally available. But I just want to point out that online aps WERE done reliably, so it can be done again... but not with today's off-the-shelf Internet and operating systems.

Anyone who's ever had to use networked applications at an educational institution will also add speed and performance to the list...

Hmm, has anyone tried to use Netscape e-mail lately? The refresh rate seems to be event driven rather than real-time...

The largest sites all had problems staying online during high usage: amazon.com, ebay, salesforce. you name it. My biggest concern is slowdown and downtime during high usage -- probably when I need it most! or at 2am. My local apps never fail to load at the same speed, reliably and regardless of my internet connection or location.

For those in the US, the Administration is passing all these privacy-violating acts that allows the government to subpoena an online provider into giving up your private information. If people use online applications, the government can essentially monitor, confiscate, and take anything deemed legal by law.

For example in emails, if the federal government suspects a email account of criminal activity, then they can demand the email provider give up the information. In this sense, the documents are not safe. Say a student writes a paper on chemical warfare, and Homeland "In-"Security utilizes a bot to flag any document online that contains information on chemical warfare, then the student can be arrested and possibly criminally charged. Although the student's intention was solely academically based, once the information is online, the safety of the information can no longer be guaranteed and therefore insecure. Although it is possible to encrypt the metadata of a document, but this encryption would still be crackable unless the user uses tokens and certificates. However tokes and certificates became necessary, then the cost-benifit comparison would make the online applications too expensive to maintain.

From a work standpoint, I deal all the time with companies' census data, including SSNs, names, addresses, and so forth. I just talked to my brother last week who works at one of the 3 largest banks in the country in ACH. They had a laptop stolen last year with the same data on file; total cost to the company for that one itty bitty laptop: $20m (pretty close to priceless, I'd say). I'll keep my data local, thank you.

Exactly what advantage do I gain from having my apps available online? Oh yeah, I can no longer use them as long as I want unless I continue to pony up the bucks. Translation: I have even lessliscence to use them. I suppose that is somehow an advantage. Or maybe its so that I no longer need to deal with complicated anti-piracy schemes... no I'm sure those will still be there and lets be honest, those anti-piracy schemes are the fault of the same companies that claim to be coming to our rescue with this online solution.

The only thing that I see here is an excuse...

An excuse to change things so that more money can be extorted from users. I see no advantage aside from short term cost savings. However, over time it will cost more anyway.

Companies like Microsoft are dying for ways to get even more money from users. This one reeks of a cash grab with no real advantage for the average user.

Okay, your first 4 categories are:
Security/privacy
Loss of files/data
Less control
Cost (pay per use)
Your information online can be made public by an outside or inside attacker.
You will need one heckuva great guarantee that your stuff will not be lost in a power outage (I'm looking at you, California!).
You don't get to say "It's MY "insert application here".
Finally, pay per use? Why would I want to pay to do something that has been free up to now?

The reason this has come about is because the companies want to make computers easier to use. THEY take care of all the security, installation, maintenence, etc. GREAT. Just don't expect me, or a lot of other people who really know computing to jump on board right away! Convince me that I NEED this. Until then, I like my files where I can see them, I like owning the app, and I like my own "terms of use", which is free!

No doubt, I feel as many others about using an online word processor because of the security issue. How private is your information, and can hackers break into the servers where the information is stored? I doubt that I would use the program to discuss some highly important and private information. If the info can be encrypted, then this may provide some degree of confidence. Otherwise, I can see the benefit of writing about some matters that if made known to the world wouldn't make a bit of difference.

on line word processing should be,AND WILL BE FREE!I look for Google to beat Microsoft to the punch

There's no way I would do any applications online that I don't absolutely have to, given that I'm unwilling to pay for more than one 28.8K line which my internet access shares with my voice phone which I need to keep free for incoming calls from 8am to 9pm daily.

What about the speed of the connection and the application. I don't feature going back to the days when you could type a line and wait for the computer to catch up. Is speed a trade off for bells and whistles? Lot's of us only use a fraction of what is available in Word, but automatic spell check is a great boon to me as is automatic numbering and renumbering. Security is less of an issue for me, but I think I will keep working with an applicatoin which can correct my mistakes.

If I had a 100% reliable, high speed, fully secure, available-worldwide internet connection, I might be tempted to use online apps instead of local apps. But since such a situation does not exist today, and is unlikely to exist in my lifetime. Forget it!

To use an online application requires that my computer is connected to the internet ALL THE TIME. That is not the case today, and will likely not be the case for a long time to come. To make this happen will require 100% wireless assessibility worldwide, I don't see this happening for a long time.

In addition, I will need an internet connection that is 100% reliable, fully secure and with total privacy and security for my files. I also don't see this happening for a long time either.

Until full reliabiity and security is available worldwide, Internet access is something that I turn on when I need it, and turn off when I don't. And I don't need it, or want it, all the time.

My main issue - besides the obvious security and availability issues - is these online apps do not play with other apps natively like Word does.

A lot of what my clients and I do relies on links written that go between Word and GoldMine. For dumbed down basic "throw a document together" kind of things, I'm sure these online tools are probably ok. But when I need to say, merge 30 fields of data into a custom form, these things just won't cut it for the forseeable future.