We know that people often get confused between weather and climate, but apparently a lot of people also get confused between weather and weather-related metaphors. To wit: A new survey has found that a shocking number of people believe that cloud computing involves actual clouds, as in the things in the sky where rain comes from. WebProNews reports:
The survey found that 51 percent of respondents believe that stormy weather can interfere with cloud computing. A plurality of respondents (29 percent) also think that the cloud is an actual cloud. A paltry 16 percent actually knew what the cloud was.
Now, we here at Grist are pretty into using the cloud. It can be energy efficient, plus it saves office space. But now I am a wee bit worried about what the larger public thinks we’re getting up to:
40 percent of respondents see the major advantage of the cloud is being able to work from home in the nude. I don’t know what kind of work they’re doing, but we can at least rest easy that the cloud enables them to do it from the privacy of their own home.
(So wait, they think it involves actual clouds AND that its function is to enable nudity? This is sounding less like computing and more like a pagan ritual.)
Rest assured, Grist readers: We may be a far-flung group, working from both coasts and from homes, offices, and coffee shops, but at least half of us are fully clothed at all times.
