How to use the Cloud

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Andra Sparks
8 years ago
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1 How to use the Cloud Intro You may have heard advertisements, articles, or tech savvy people talk about the cloud and didn t know what that meant. Have no fear, we re here to teach you. Sometimes the cloud just means the Internet. But a lot of popular services use the Internet in a specific way that is cloud computing. The cloud is not one entity. It s not a thing you can touch or see. The cloud is an idea. It is a method of using the Internet. You may already use it without even realizing. The cloud is the idea that a digital resource is available anywhere you have an internet connection, rather than only being available on your personal device. Simply put: the cloud is the network of computers from which you can access digital resources on any device with an Internet connection. To use the cloud you need to remember your passwords Computer, tablet, smartphone etc. address (usually free) Create an account Internet wifi, cellular, or wired Apps; Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or any other web browser Pg.

2 Diagram / Step-by-step 4 UP (UPLOAD) DOWN (DOWNLOAD). On your device, you do something, such as visit a website, open a cloud service s app, log in to an account, create a document, etc. 2. Your device sends data toward the cloud uploading, requesting 3. Data sent into the cloud In this diagram, the cloud icon means your connection to the internet 4. The cloud service receives your data and (hopefully) does what you asked it to do with that data stores it, sends it somewhere else, processes it, etc. 5. The cloud service decides to send you data or you purposefully ask the service for data downloading, viewing, accessing, streaming *Remember: the whole diagram and step-by-step process is cloud computing. Why do I care? Maybe we won t be able to convince you to care about the cloud, but here s why a lot of other people care about and use cloud services constantly: Everything s available Available instantly Available everywhere Easy to send to others Automatic On your computer and online Pg. 2

3 A few selected cloud websites and apps we want to highlight: Dropbox upload your files, download them anywhere, re-upload them. Evernote take notes and edit them on the fly Pandora streaming music (no account required) Spotify streaming music (account required) Netflix watch TV, movies, documentaries Google Drive edit documents collaboratively (Outlook.com is a cloud service, Outlook Desktop is not) YouTube viral videos TurboTax tax preparation Apple icloud a collection of Apple services most useful on mobile devices Facebook social networking Anything else you ve heard about? We have time for questions and time to go through other/more examples. Security You may have heard of Home Depot, Target, or even the IRS hacks that exposed the personal information of many of their customers. The cloud is not perfectly secure. Here are a few tips to keep the part of the cloud that you use safe: Have a secure password Abc23 is nowhere near good enough. If possible, don t store any personal information in the cloud service itself. That way, if the service is hacked there s little risk. Change your password as soon as possible if a cloud service asks you to, as long as it s not a scam (see info on phishing below). Beware of phishing s falsely claiming to be a cloud service. Place your mouse over links to check that the web address of any link sent to you is: relookingfor.com, or relookingfor.com, relookingfor.com/login, NOT relookingfor.scam.com (whatever is right before the.com is the real website you re going to scam.com here) Do not send your login/password info in an ; do not respond to an in your inbox with that information either. Pg. 3

4 Cloud computing quiz: Cloud or not? 8 yes/no questions.. Circle one: Pg. 4

5 5. 6. Maybe so Pg. 5

In the Cloud. Scoville Memorial Library February, 2013 ccayne@biblio.org

In the Cloud. Scoville Memorial Library February, 2013 ccayne@biblio.org In the Cloud Scoville Memorial Library February, 2013 ccayne@biblio.org What is the Cloud? You may have heard people using terms like the cloud, cloud computing, or cloud storage. But what exactly is the