Free Computer Consultant ………. Daily Insights

The past few months have seen a wide array of Microsoft services being down for fairly long periods of time. Whether MSDN for developers or hotmail and live messenger for the masses, this is casting some doubts on the whole “Software as a Service” or SaaS concept.

Doesn’t cast doubts for me. I have written before that I don’t like Software as a Service and I’ll say it again. If you don’t control it, you don’t get it when you need it.

Microsoft is trying to get people to use even MS Office in a online mode. The advantages are these:

• All you need is a computer with a working web browser installed - anywhere in the world
• Your data is available to you - anywhere in the world
• You can share your data with coworkers easily - anywhere in the world

But let’s take a look at the disadvantages:

• Your data is available to Microsoft, its employees and any hackers - anywhere in the world
• Not just any web browser of your choosing, Internet Explorer only
• Your internet connection must be working, and at a fast clip
• The browser and the computer you are using must be updated to the latest and the greatest in security patches, updates, plugins, activeX controls, you name it
• Backup is whose responsibility?
• Availability of the service is whose responsibility?

One of my clients had their high dollar internet connection, a T-1, go down about 4:30pm earlier this week. If the company would have been willing to pay someone to stay and wait for AT&T for up to 4 hours to come and fix it, AT&T would have. Instead they opted to wait until morning. It was fixed about 8:30am.

The email server was so backed up that email was not flowing normally until 3pm (mostly spam of course). Everyone was frustrated, many were angry.

We take these services for granted when they work, even though responsible IT people will constantly remind all of those involved that many services, such as email, are anything but guaranteed.

For certain people in certain circumstances, Software as a Service may be appropriate. With data they don’t care if Microsoft, Google, Every ad agency in the U.S., some clever hackers, and the U.S. Government all have access to.

But if your business and livelihood rely on it, keep it under your control. And treat it properly.

It frustrates me enough that software companies don’t bother to optimize their code and instead load up our hard drives with unnecessary files strewn over several directories (known as software bloat). A perfect uninstall is almost impossible. And that new Dell or whoever computer coming loaded with Google desktop, half a dozen instant messaging programs and who knows what else. It takes me a half hour just to sort through and uninstall all of that garbage. Use the restore feature of you computer and you’ll get it all back.

But now more & more software is coming with add ons that will install unless you tell it not to.

Cases in point.

Adobe Reader was also installing, unless you unchecked the box, some photoalbum starter edition (increases download time) that not only loaded junk on your hard drive (slows PC down, takes more to back it up - if you back up) but also started some downloader program that slows the boot up of your PC, slows the operation of your PC, and fills your system tray with yet another icon you don’t need. Now today I looked and saw that they are downloading & installing Adobe Media Player - as if you really need another media player.

Just one media player that worked all of the time would be fine with me. (VLC media player is one of the most reliable.)

Now Sun is getting into the act also by downloading and installing (unless you uncheck the box) OpenOffice installer when you go to get Java.

I’m all for OpenSource software and OpenOffice in particular. But the “you’ll get it unless you notice and go to the trouble to uncheck” mentality is plain wrong. What’s the connection between OpenOffice and Java? None. You’re getting Java because some website told you you needed it. You get OpenOffice when you want to ditch Microsoft Office.

<Update, forgot when originally writing post> Quicktime & iTunes are installing Safari web browser unless you are paying close enough attention to turn it off. Safari is a highly regarded web browser, but if you are using Firefox and quite happy with it then adding Safari is just cluttering up your PC.

Beware the add ons. Don’t ask me later how to clean up and speed up your PC, it’s so much easier to keep it clean to begin with.