But instead of spending time on this post back-tracking and explaining cloud computing in full detail, I think it would be best to go directly into some “what-if” scenarios that are quickly becoming reality.  Cloud computing is taking virtualization to new heights in the workplace and on the web, using the relatively small capacities of many to create a computing superpower.

What interests me most is what this will eventually lead to.  Analysts are predicting that in a few years, there will be just as much talk about the “world wide grid” as there is today about the world wide web.  What is this, you ask?  Aggregating small amounts of power, bandwidth and storage space from each of our personal computers, placing them all in one grid structure (much like a bit torrent does for pulling large files) and creating one all-powerful supercomputer, this grid would allow applications to run robust tasks at an amazing and possibly alarming rate.

Think in terms of a beehive.  If the hive has 20 extremely effective worker bees, it cannot compete with another containing 2000 less-than-perfect worker bees, all executing simultaneously to build a large structure.  The scary part here is that this becomes a hacker’s dream.  Hackers can now run decoding applications on a very large scale.  Encryption systems have historically stayed ahead of the processing power of the top computers out there, keeping security air-tight (in most cases).  The potential to infiltrate a large-scale grid of computers is making hackers everywhere salivate at the thought.

And next, what happens as computers begin to execute small tasks on their own?  These computers can connect to the grid and employ the masses to complete other small tasks.  Eventually, the computer could use information from other computers in the grid to execute a large-scale operation (which began as a simple task created by a user).  And then?  Chaos.  The machines will utilize their strength in numbers to take over our everyday lives.  Seem surreal?  Like a movie?  Better look closer, as it’s really happening.