Extoling the virtues of Cloud Computing platforms

Cloud computing really is a revolutionary technology achievement. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise. At the end of the day, cloud computing as a technology levels the playing field among companies as it turns many functions of IT into a utility. No longer do you have to directly cover the charge of managing datacenter overhead.

Once upon a time the bigger the datacenter you had, the larger the applications you could develop and run. Now that even small companies with meager financial resources can use cloud computing and storage to build apps, the old paradigm is shattered. In The Big Switch, Nicolas Carr likens cloud computing to electricity. When Edison figured out how to turn electricity into a utility, a commodity that anyone could purchase, larger factories no longer had the strategic advantage of generating their own electricity (larger generation meant more widget production).

Here are some common SaaS/Cloud based solutions:

• Gmail and other Google services
• Salesforce, online CRM
• Amazon's EC2 and S3
• Windows Azure

The National Parks: America's Best Idea on PBS

Amazing.

The Gates' Foundation on Education and Preventing Disease

I recently watched Bill Gates' TED Talk on some of the work the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is investing in. The first part of the talk focuses on attrition of disease and value of human life while the latter focuses on effective teaching models and our public schools. Here's a counter argument to the work of the Gates Foundation. What do you think of education reform in America?

Also, a random thought: Communication is the lifeblood of success.

Your 'purple folder'

Every morning, Barack Obama receives a purple folder inside his daily briefing with ten letters that specifically help him to better understand what Americans are thinking about. Here are some thoughts on things I like to consume on a daily basis:

• Nonprofit technology news from TechSoup
• The Wall Street Journal World articles
• Electronic Frontier Foundation's Newsletter

While your job or life mission may be a little different, what is in, or could be in your 'purple folder'?

Internet Week 2009

We're entering day two of NYC's Internet Week, and I'm stumbling on my start. Last night a friend and I tried to attend Ignite NYC but were turned away by staff as the venue was full. Today I'll be attending NYTech's Startup showcase and hopefully learning about exciting new businesses.

Updated 6/26:

I'd like to share with you some of the startups I met at the Internet Week showcase:

• DonorsChoose.org, a nonprofit microfunding site for teacher's clasroom asks


• Bug Labs, a modular programmable computer aimed at the education sector


• WellcomeMat, a YouTube meets Yelp!


• Notches, dynamic product reviews built around your community or site


• Tripology, a site where travel agents vie for your business. You describe the ideal vacation and they'll coordinate/book it for you.

Senatorial impressions

Recently I sent an email to my representatives in Congress regarding the status of 'enemy combatants' held at Guantanamo Bay as part of Amnesty International's effort to support an independent tribunal for those who advocated illegal torture methods. Here are my two Senator's responses (first Gillibrand, followed by Schumer):

Dear Mr. Lamb:

Thank you for taking the time to write to me about alleged abuses by the Bush Administration. I share the concern raised by many that the former Administration may have acted contrary to the Rule of Law and the Geneva Conventions with regard to the treatment of detainees in United States custody. I believe torture to be abhorrent, ineffective, and immoral. Its use as a tactic of interrogation has no place under the Constitution of the United States.

I have been troubled by documents that I have seen from the Bush Administration that argue for the use of certain interrogation techniques, such as water boarding. It is important that the American people receive answers about the full scope of procedures sanctioned by the Bush Administration, and to that end, I support an independent, bipartisan investigation. This process must not be driven by politics, but rather as a fully bipartisan way to better understand and hold accountable those who were entrusted with the duty of upholding our Constitution and following treaties to which we are a party. The Intelligence Committee of the United States Senate has already initiated an investigation, and I will work with my colleagues in Congress to find all appropriate way to move forward.


There is no duty more sacred to me as a United States Senator than upholding the Constitution and protecting the human rights of all individuals. I believe that we can keep America safe from terrorism while still respecting basic human rights, and I am heartened by the strides that the Obama Administration has made to make our government more transparent and accountable on this issue.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me on this issue, and please do not hesitate to write to me in the future with any other issues or concerns that you may have. For more information on this and other issues being discussed in the United States Senate, please visit my website http://gillibrand.senate.gov and sign up for my e-newsletter.

Sincerely yours,

Kirsten Gillibrand
United States Senator

And now, Schumer's:

Thank you for your e-mail. Each and every piece of correspondence I receive is important because it allows me to better understand the New Yorkers I serve in the United States Senate.

As you can imagine, my office receives a great number of messages every day regarding a variety of issues – this is particularly true of e-mails. It makes me proud to know that my constituents take an active role in our government by corresponding with me, and I look forward to responding to your concerns in greater detail. In the meantime, I just wanted to let you know that your e-mail has been received, and to ask for your patience until I send you a more detailed response.

Again, thank you for writing. Please feel free to visit my website http://schumer.senate.gov to follow my work in the Senate and to learn more about the services my office can provide to you.

Warmest regards

That's right, no signature. While I try to mitigate first impression syndrome, this goes to show how important Public Relations can be.

Social responsibility and 'real change'

A few weeks ago I went to our local TD Bank branch as I heard about their free change counting machines. My girlfriend and I had been keeping loose change in a one-gallon ziploc bag, and it summed to over $140. Now that's real change!

And speaking of real change, I recently started my new stint at New Leaders for New Schools, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to ensure high academic achievement for every student by attracting and preparing outstanding leaders, and supporting the performance of the urban public schools they lead. I'm finding the work extremely rewarding and we're taking on big challenges - single sign on solutions, complete consumption of Software as a Service (SaaS) and leveraging cloud services like Salesforce. In fact New Leaders won an award for the innovative work they're doing with the Force plantform. And the largest issue - helping Principals lead their schools based on best practices at scale. Check out our Urban Excellence Framework for a peek into driving dramatic achievement results in schools.

Some other great places to find real change: The change.org job board which allows you to find nonprofit careers in your area of interest; DonorsChoose.org which supports micro-funding of Teacher's requests for their classrooms; and WiserEarth - "connecting you to communities of action". Leave your favorites in the comments!

A play reading and the game of chess

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend my friend's play reading of Psychomachia; performed by (among others) Debra Jo Rupp, Christian Campbell, and Kevin Geer.

I also swung by the lower east side Chess Meet-up in the Chinatown YMCA. The instructor for the intermediate class was excellent! She's a FIDE Master.