About as comfortable as the CIA, NSA, and IRS direct access to my files...there's no security with Clound Computing regardless of the assurances being provided.

No. I think all the local high-tech companies betting on the latest trend of "The Cloud" underestimate how much users distrust them to handle private data. As well as loss of trust over feeling manipulated by marketing that tries to get you to repurchase the same music and video assets over and over, upgrading your computer every two-five years, etc. I've actually been thinking of starting an anti-cloud software company.

I think it's a little late to be asking this question: I'm willing to bet that almost everyone reading this who has a smartphone, Apple-anything, or uses computers for work has some of their data stored in "the cloud." It's an inexorable trend, because of the vastly improved mobile access you get to your data, and because applications (such as email, or word processing, or corporate applications) delivered from the cloud are more cost-effective for companies than maintaining a PC for each user. If you consider your banking, utility, and tax data is already on a server somewhere, it's already "in the cloud" even if you don't have access to it (or have never bothered to sign up for access.)

Ultimately, your data is safer in a cloud storage than it would be at home on your PC, or even in a laptop or desktop computer in a small-to-medium company. Most home users and companies don't have adequate backup procedures in place, so when your disk drive fails, your data is gone. Cloud providers, while clearly not perfect (but what IS perfect, anyway?) do a much better job.

And Sierra Club: if the CIA wants your data, they would already have it, no matter what precautions you take. I can explain in detail sometime, but they can literally get it by driving by your house.

The best thing you can do to secure your data in the cloud is choose a provider that stores the data in an encrypted form, and then pick a nice secure password that nobody can guess because it contains scrambled, random text.

I love the Voices Around Town video segments. Keep up the good work, Nick and MV Voice staff!

It's been the cloud for me, ever since my wife lost 4 years worth of emails when her computer's email program corrupted her local mail file. Even if she had taken a nightly backup, it wouldn't have helped as she didn't notice the corruption until weeks after it had happened.

Martin:

Thank you so much for the compliment! It is so nice to see kind words in the Town Square forum.

Regards,
Nick