Monthly Archives: April 2021

Seuss, Blyton, Willy Wonka: With flaws in beloved childrens classics, where does one draw the line? – Hindustan Times

Posted: April 17, 2021 at 11:49 am

Did you understand what the fuss about the withdrawal of Dr Seusss books last month was about? I have to say it meant very little to me because Dr Seuss was not part of my reading when I was a child. His stories are a mostly American phenomenon and I had no idea that some of his books contained racist images.

However, I did grow up on the books of Enid Blyton who has faced a more sustained attack than Dr Seuss. The biggest problem with Blytons work is a character called Golly who inhabits Toyland and is clearly a racist caricature. I grew up too on Mark Twain, in whose books the N word is liberally used and actually forms part of the name of one character. What about Roald Dahls Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, where the Oompa-Loompas are African pygmies who are enslaved in Willy Wonkas factory?

What about If, that stirring poem that schoolchildren are still taught? It is written by Rudyard Kipling, who we now accept had contempt for the idea that Indians could rule themselves.

Meanwhile, there is now a campaign to cancel JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, because she has expressed views seen by some to negate the transgender experience.

Is all this political correctness gone mad? Examples of the now-pervasive cancel culture? Or are the objections valid and reasonable?

There is no clear, single answer and each case seems different. In the case of Enid Blyton, we need to accept that she was writing at a time when golliwogs were common childrens toys. As late as 2002, the popular food brand Robertsons still sold jams (in the UK) whose mascot was a golliwog. So perhaps it was understandable that Blytons Toyland included golliwogs.

On the other hand, as far back as 1966, the British newspaper The Guardian wrote an editorial criticising Blytons book The Little Black Doll, which featured a toy doll who was ostracised for its ugly black face, until it was scrubbed pink, rendered pretty and then welcomed back.

So yes, she probably was racist. So it is with Roald Dahl and his Oompa-Loompas. Dahl was (at the very least) an anti-Semite and his estate has had to apologise for his prejudiced views on this front.

On the other hand, Mark Twain was not a racist and spoke and wrote against slavery. As for Kipling, he believed Indians were unfit to govern themselves, but he created sympathetic and memorable Indian characters such as Mowgli. JK Rowling, whatever her views on transgender issues, has written books that are feasts of the imagination and clearly not racist or prejudiced.

Should an authors personal views even matter, if they arent reflected on the page? Should we deny children the joy of reading Blytons Malory Towers and Secret Seven books or even Noddy, because the author was racist? And is it okay for them to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer because Mark Twain was not?

The short answer is that we should judge the book by the book, not the author. The golliwogs in the Noddy books clearly perpetrate a racial stereotype so they should go. The use of the N word in Twains books should end and indeed it has been excised from recent editions. On the Oompa-Loompas, as far back as 1971, the first film version of Dahls book changed their race and dispensed with the nonsense about them being from Africa. It made no difference to the book or the movie and children continued to enjoy the tale.

As for Kipling, we may disagree with his views on Indians and our capacity for self-governance, but If is still an inspiring poem for children to read.

The key issue here is the ability of stories to poison childrens minds. A child who grows up reading about Black people as golliwogs, pygmy slaves or N words is likely to have his worldview coloured. To object to those portrayals is not political correctness. It is common sense.

When it comes to adult fiction, of course, things get more complicated. Was The Satanic Verses anti-Islamic? Maybe it was. Maybe it wasnt. Adults should be allowed to read it for themselves and decide.

Is The Merchant of Venice anti-Semitic? I dont think it is but every time the play is staged in America, Jewish groups picket the theatre or protest. They are entitled to that view. But every theatregoer is entitled to make up his or her mind.

Sadly, in India these days, we have surrendered the right to decide for ourselves and handed it over to the mob. So Tandav is called anti-Hindu. Scenes should be cut or the makers will go to jail. Why is there a Bhagwad Geeta in Bombay Begums? Thats anti-Hindu too. And so on.

Much of the criticism of cancel culture stems from this kind of excess. There is no fundamental right to not be offended. But we act as if it exists. There is however a right to free speech which, if it is to mean anything, must include the right to offend.

Sadly, all too often we deliberately confuse the need to protect children from racial and religious stereotypes with a mandate to censor content consumed by adults.

Bottom line: Children need to be protected. Adults need to be free.

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Seuss, Blyton, Willy Wonka: With flaws in beloved childrens classics, where does one draw the line? - Hindustan Times

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The Weakening of American Culture – The Michigan Review

Posted: at 11:49 am

There are many values of the average conservative that used to be cornerstones of the United States. Our country was founded with religious ideals in mind, as explained by John Adams: We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. Americans used to be united by these shared cultural and societal values. However, those values changed when a counterculture arose in the late 1960s and 1970s. That counterculture attack was, and still is, due to the giant shift away from tradition in the U.S. This shift caused a push against the interconnected, foundational morals of the country, the roles of women in society, and the importance of family unity.

That counterculture attack was, and still is, due to the giant shift away from tradition in the U.S. This shift caused a push against the interconnected, foundational morals of the country, the roles of women in society, and the importance of family unity.

Today, it seems that the boundaries of that counterculture have been over-extended so much that its now the mainstream culture. The foundational morals of the U.S. were life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, every single one of these values is now turned on its head. Justice and truth are overrun by political correctness and hypersensitivity. Sexual immorality is now the norm thanks to the third-wave feminism perpetuated by the legality and acceptance of abortion and divorce. And now politics are run based on identity, pushing the public (and even students here at U-M) to view others, not by their individual values and actions, but by their social groups.

This role of sexual immorality is yet another example of how the counterculture movement has turned the push for female equality into a social justice warrior petition. A good example of this is American societys stance on sexual liberation, perfectly exemplified by the left-wing praise of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallions Grammys Performance. When I watch this clip, it doesnt make me feel empowered or liberated. Its really quite disheartening to see how celebrities are teaching young girls and men that sexualizing women is supposed to be the same as empowering them. And, frankly, its rather disgusting to watch.

When I watch this clip, it doesnt make me feel empowered or liberated. Its really quite disheartening to see how celebrities are teaching young girls and men that sexualizing women is supposed to be the same as empowering them.

The counterculture against the unity of families has turned into a fluidity and acceptance of divorce, which is statistically one of the worst ways that children can be raised. The Black Lives Matter movement specifically stated in their charter that We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure. Why? Because they believe its an American tradition that still points to white supremacy and a lack of community. Its a traditional value to create strong nuclear families, and because of the shift away from tradition, we can see the same shift away from strong families. This causes children who are raised in single-parent households to be more likely to commit higher crimes and are more likely to live in poverty.

Overall, because of the shift away from traditional values, America has seen more division than it has in many years. People act as though traditions are wrong and should have never been, when they dont think about the reasons those traditions were ever in place. I think most of that disrespect for tradition comes from the younger generations, who think they know better but, in reality, have lived the least amount of time. Therefore, they may not have the same wisdom or understanding of such traditions as older generations who lived through them. So, they try to change the traditions that they dont understand, and the country is left in tatters.

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Democrats want abortion and trans athletes Tulsa Beacon – Tulsa Beacon

Posted: at 11:49 am

Republicans labeled racists by Dems

Legislative Democrats are trying to label some Republicans as racists, anti-choice and transphobic due to the passage of bills that seek to stop abortion and to keep boys from pretending to be girls and competing in school sports.

Democrats were livid when they claimed that Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Sallisaw, said in debate over Senate Bill 612 that the fight to abolish abortion is more critical than the fight to end slavery.

The bills author was Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow. It would criminalize and abortion in Oklahoma expect to save the life of the mother in a medical emergency. It passed 38-9 in the Senate and 8-1 in the House Public Health Committee.

Democrats want Olsen punished for voicing his opposition to the murder of unborn babies. And they want all elected Republicans to be forced to attend diversity training to conform to the Democrats view of political correctness.

The constant barrage of cavalier racism is a distinct sign that Oklahoma is not doing fine. This is not the first time in this session alone that in debating the abortion issue, a Republican legislator evoked a racist trope to defend their indefensible position, said Alicia Andrews, Chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party

The Oklahoma Democratic Party demands not only an apology from Representative Olsen but also that Speaker of the Oklahoma House, Charles McCall, immediately censures Olsen. Moreover, we request that all Oklahoma House Representatives undergo Diversity and Inclusion training conducted by a nationally recognized facilitator before this session is over and at the beginning of every session in the future.

Rep. Denise Brewer, D-Tulsa, wants abortion to stay legalized and wants the Republicans to stop introducing and passing bills to protect the lives of unborn children.

We have been bombarded by anti-choice bills, which all have a common theme: written by men focusing on taking away the rights of pregnant people to control their bodies, Brewer said. SB 612 is particularly offensive. It is an attempt to destroy doctor-patient confidentiality, threatens physicians with huge fines and felony charges, and none of these bills say anything about the responsibility of the father.

Today, we heard a claim that the abortion fight is bigger than the hundreds of years when African Americans were kidnapped and enslaved, with no control of their bodies, families, or even recognized as humans. Those insensitive ideas are alive and well in our Capitol.

We continue as policy makers to chip away at the rights of women to choose proper healthcare for themselves in Senate Bill 612, and now we are hearing our colleagues compare these healthcare issues to slavery which also limited the rights of Black women by not allowing them to have a choice not to have children by their slave masters, said Rep. Ajay Pittman, D-Oklahoma City.

House Minority Leader Emily Virgin, D-Norman, and State Rep. Mauree Turner, D-OKC, are livid due to the passage of Senate Bill 2, which prevents boys from playing on athletic teams meant for girls.

We need infrastructure, but my colleagues continue to double down on legislation that denies the existence of trans youth. Trans girls are girls full stop, said Turner.

We will continue to show up in the face of bigotry and anti-trans legislation. We have defeated other anti-LGBTQ2S+ and anti-trans legislation, and we will do it again- but we cant do it without you and groups like ACLU of Oklahoma, Freedom Oklahoma and so many more. Please keep fighting.

Senate Bill 2 ostracizes children and casts a dark cloud on our states reputation nationally, Virgin said. Our tax structure means nothing if businesses refuse to be associated with us due to the legislation we run. Instead of hurtful legislation, we need Oklahoma focused solutions.

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Heart the locals, mind the goat: Tips on being a good neo-rural – Hindustan Times

Posted: at 11:49 am

Nothings readymade. Expect animals (and insects) everywhere. Love thy neighbour. Above all, be humble. That, in a nutshell, is the advice that two women who have moved from cities to rural areas in India during the pandemic year, Mamta Chitnis Sen, 42, an artist and social worker, and Arpita Paul, 28, a PR manager, would like to offer to their fellow neo-rurals to help them not be a nuisance.

The term neo-rural is used to describe people who move from an urban to a non-urban area, particularly those seeking a hybrid life where they retain their original livelihoods and split their time between city and non-city (as opposed to, say, switching to a life of farming or animal-rearing).

Work from anywhere has meant that the world has acquired a lot more neo-rurals. In India, techies have packed up and moved to Goa in hordes; executives of all kinds have thronged mountain and beach getaways. The trouble occurs when expectation doesnt meet reality the pace is not just slower, its too slow, wi-fi is patchy, the power goes out for hours, theres no takeout on demand.

To make such a move without doing the requisite homework might seem odd, particularly in 2021. But in France, similar reverse migrants doing it all wrong sparked such a furore filing complaints against a neighbours rooster for crowing too early, against a local cow for leaving droppings in its wake, against fowl on a nearby farm for being smelly that France passed a new sensory heritage law, in January, to protect the sounds and smells of its countryside.

Back to our two advisers, Sen moved from Mumbai to Ronapal village in the Konkan last May and has built a small house and art studio there. Paul has lived in nine small villages across Sikkim since August. She fell in love with rural life, she says, and moves around because she wants to see as much of unexplored India as possible.

The most important thing theyd like to say about being a neo-rural is, its not cheaper. The concept of the daily commute doesnt exist, so getting around is expensive. In my village, I have to pay 500 to travel 20 km, says Sen.

The overall business of living is more expensive too whether its plumbing or repairs, car maintenance or construction, expect each task to stretch out over days. The work-life balance is vastly different outside the cities, the focus tilting heavily towards life. People will take leave on the local bazaar day, for a local festival, a wedding or celebration, if its too sunny or if it starts to rain, says Sen.

MAKE NICE

Make peace with the animals. Sen has had all her garden saplings eaten by goats. You must learn about grazing routes and local fauna before you plant anything or even plan your activities for the day, she says.

Be prepared for frankness, frank interest and curiosity. I have realised there is no political correctness here, says Paul. If youre new, it will be pointed out, questions will be asked. Ditto if you are single, differently abled, married but child-free.

But people mean no harm and they are certainly not asking you these questions to hurt you. Its more out of curiosity about a way of life that is unfamiliar to them, Paul says.

Neighbours wont just notice what youre doing, theyll get involved. When Sen picked the most expensive option for the well on her plot black stone she didnt realise she was also building a local attraction. Neighbours now stop by unannounced, to look at the well and chat over tea. Youngsters have begun to stop by to take selfies against it.

Each encounter whether you have a black stone well or not will take longer than you expect. Dont be rude and, for instance, go into a grocery store, picks up supplies and leave. Everyone talks to each other. They wont hesitate to walk into your house if theyre passing by, and youd be welcome to do the same. So embrace the local community and learn to be more social.

BE HUMBLE

Village folk lead simple lives and thats how they like it. Dont brag about your city life. It wont impress them but rather put them off, Sen says.

If theres a local eatery, eat whats on offer or make your own. Dont ask about fast food. Try the local snacks, and refrain from comment if they turn out to not be to your liking.

Stay well-stocked on medicines and cash. The nearest ATM could be hours away, and chemists are few and far between.

Expect load shedding and odd internet hotspots Sen and Pauls coworkers have become used to seeing crops and goats in the background on video calls, since the middle of a farm and a hilltop are, respectively, where both women get the best connectivity.

Whatever else you do, respect the local culture. In Sikkim, people really dont like it if you pluck flowers. So do not do it, says Paul. In the Konkan, village fairs and local cricket tournaments are big social events, says Sen. If youre invited, show up. Its considered very rude not to.

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Cloud Computing? There’s a Lot of Smoke in Those Clouds – Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence

Posted: at 11:48 am

When we think about environment problems, we naturally imagine huge smokestacks turning the sky dark and coating the trees with soot. But glitzy high tech stuff like cloud computing and cryptocurrency use a lot of energy too.

Cloud computing, where we use computing resources via the internet without installing and maintaining them, is a huge energy hog we never see:

The music video for Despacito set an Internet record in April 2018 when it became the first video to hit five billion views on YouTube. In the process, Despacito reached a less celebrated milestone: it burned as much energy as 40,000 U.S. homes use in a year.

We tend to think of the internet as immaterial but thats mainly because the material stuff is mostly not where we live:

If you live your life online, both in terms of browsing and storage, its easy to feel a kind of digital weightlessness. Its not often that we consider how many servers are actually propping up our wireless lifestyles. The cloud is not a memory palace to retrieve your data from. The cloud is a physical storage facility that has a burden on the world.

In the US, streaming music services dump between 25,000 and 40,000 tons of CO2 into the air every year. Data centres take large amounts of energy to power and need to be on 24 hours a day to ensure that access to data never drops. So arent data centres the hottest places on earth? Well, not really, as they need to be cooled. That takes a lot of energy.

Amazon Web Services (AWS), one of the biggest cloud providers, is trying to move toward powering its servers with 100% renewable energy. But that will involve a lot of infrastructure investment, not just pre-COVID-style group hugs.

As Mark White puts it, The cloud is a vague place that none of us even think about. Were happy to dump our data there provided we remember the password.

Its the same with cryptocurrency. As programmer Jonathan Bartlett notes, the energy costs associated with having a trustless system such as Bitcoin is immense, with Bitcoin transactions generally costing 400,000 times as much energy as a single transaction on the Visa network. According to the BBC, the Bitcoin network which, again, very few people are regularly transacting in now consumes more energy than the entire country of Argentina. (Mind Matters News, March 15, 2021) If green companies like Tesla are embracing Bitcoin, as he says, we need to ask them some questions. Perhaps it is relevant that Tesla apparently profited more on the Bitcoin investment than in the entire last year of selling cars that are supposed to be green.

Philosopher of technology George Gilder warns that cloud computing is reaching its limits. The cloud isnt something ethereal up there, Gilder reminds us; it is giant factory floors of computers. He sees blockchain (currently used to produce cryptocurrencies) as replacing cloud computing, but that doesnt solve the energy problem.

Thoughts are immaterial and the human brain, while itself material, exceeds the most powerful computers in efficiency. But once we seek to turn our thoughts into actions, energy issues arise. The energy always goes somewhere and does something. Digital lifestyles dont change that. No one has repealed the Laws of Thermodynamics.

So maybe our first step is to recognize how much energy our digital lifestyle really uses, even though we imagine that those digital documents are somehow immaterial. Theyre not. They just belong to an energy budget not directly associated with ourselves.

You may also wish to read: Could carbon computing make computers more environment friendly? As a key component of life forms, carbon is abundant and energy efficient. Carbon-based computing uses vastly less energy than silicon-based, just as a human brain, with as many connections as the internet, uses much less energy.

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#islandertech – Taking the mystery out of cloud computing – Islander News.com

Posted: at 11:48 am

We often hear the term cloud storage or cloud computing discussed, but what exactly is cloud computing or storage? How does it work? Is it safe, and is it the right solution for your needs? Here, we will answer those and other questions about this often mysterious subject.

Boiling it down to its simplest form, cloud computing is storage on somebody elses computer server. It is accessible mainly via a password-protected account, with a device connected to the internet. Some samples of this are Dropbox, Google Drive or iCloud.

In those services, an account is created usually using your email with password protection. You can store files there, such as pictures or documents, just like on a computer folder. The advantage is that your documents are safe and available from just about any device with an internet connection. You dont have to worry if your computer fails; just log into your account with another computer and access your files.

Another plus is the ability to increase your storage capacity, usually for a fee, or go down on storage space when desired. Its like having a flexible hard drive you can access from anywhere. This also makes synchronization between devices easy since you can access all your files from any internet-linked device.

Is cod computing safe? The short answer is yes because it is protected by your user ID and password. Of course, there is always risk so use a safe password and change it frequently.

Dropbox is well known to be safe, and you can get a free account for basic storage, or a paid, full-fledged business account. Google Drive is another expandable solution, but you need a gmail account to use it.

A iCloud account can only be created on an iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) running iOS 5 or higher, or on a Mac computer running OS X Lion or higher.

You can set up an account for the services mentioned above by simply creating an account up for them at their websites.

In my next column I will discuss antivirus protection for your computer devices. Who needs it and which one to get.

If you have any suggestions on tech topics youd like to see addressed, contact Leo Quintana at (305) 523-9203 or leo@leoquintana.com

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The 10 hottest cloud computing jobs on Indeed – TechRepublic

Posted: at 11:48 am

If you're looking for job security and salaries averaging over $100,000, it's a good time to gain cloud skills.

Image: iStock/t:Radachynskyi

The top three cloud jobs on Indeed right now are cloud engineer, software architect and cloud consultant.

It is often said that the future looks cloudy. At a time when a globally distributed workforce has meant moving to the cloud or potentially not surviving, and organizations are scrambling to digitally transform their operations, cloud computing jobs are hotter than ever.

Rounding out the top 10 cloud jobs on the site are development operations engineer, senior software engineer, software developer, software engineer, full-stack developer, data engineer and platform engineer.

SEE:13 career fields with a future: Sustained recovery(TechRepublic)

In the U.S., the average base salary for a cloud engineer is $118,003, according to Indeed. A software architect can make an average of $135,473 in the U.S. and a cloud consultant, an average of $108,233, according to the site.

"In addition to high salaries and job availability, cloud computing professionals also benefit from the field's flexibility,'' according to a Northeastern University graduate program blog post. "Most jobs within the industry can be performed remotely, protecting them from many of the workplace uncertainties brought about during the COVID-19 pandemic and allowing professionals to work anywhere in the world."

"Essentially, every meaningful consumer application or service that you can think of today is based on cloud technology,'' said Scott Bonneau, vice president of global talent attraction at Indeed. "As a result, the demand for cloud talent has shot up over this same period of time."

It is hard to compare how this year's top cloud jobs rank to past years as the timeframes are likely different, Bonneau said. But as the chart shows demand has changed over the last few years.

Image: Indeed.com

(Methodology: Indeed calculated the percentage change in the share of job postings (per 1M) and the share of job seeker searches containing the cloud terms in the title from March thru March of the respective year. Cloud terms included: 'amazon webservices', 'amazon web services', 'amazon webservice', 'amazon web service','aws', 'azure', 'google cloud', 'cloud', 'openstack', 'open stack.')

Many cloud computing jobs do not require a four-year college degree, he said.

"It is becoming increasingly common for software development roles to no longer require a four-year college degree--including many cloud engineering roles. I anticipate this trend will continue into the future,'' Bonneau said.

Instead, "practical experience, a demonstrated ability to learn and apply newly learned skills in a professional environment and an ability to be a great team player are often much more key factors than someone's four-year degree."

Given that effectively, all consumer software these days is built for and runs in the cloud, the job opportunity is enormous, Bonneau said. "It's a rapidly evolving field with a ton of innovation, especially right now. I expect this trend to continue."

He offered some tips for employers looking to hire cloud talent:

Clearly define your talent needs. This sounds easy but can actually be tricky. Do you think you need specific industry experience? Or new college grads? Define your target candidate group, and then focus all your attention there.

Know your value proposition as an employer. What sets the opportunity to work for you apart from the others? Are you mission-driven in a unique way? Find what makes you, you, and lean into that, and make sure every candidate experiences that in each touchpoint they have during the process.

Expand your sources of hire. Once you understand your needs and have sorted how you're going to convey your value proposition, look for sources of hire where the talent you need might be. There are lots of great sources that often go overlooked, like coding boot camps that may have candidates with non-traditional backgrounds and huge amounts of potential.

1. cloud engineer

2. software architect

3. cloud consultant

4. development operations engineer

5. senior software engineer

6. software developer

7. software engineer

8. full stack developer

9. data engineer

10. platform engineer

This is your go-to resource for XaaS, AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, cloud engineering jobs, and cloud security news and tips. Delivered Mondays

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2 Top Cloud Computing Stocks to Buy in 2021 – The Motley Fool

Posted: at 11:48 am

Cloud computing has revolutionized the business world over the last two decades. Enterprises no longer need to provision and maintain costly on-premises computing infrastructure. Instead, they can access resources like servers, storage, databases, and software remotely through the internet. Moreover, those resources can be accessed on demand, allowing enterprises to quickly and efficiently scale their operations.

According to research firm Gartner, spending on public cloud services will increase by 19% annually through 2022. That growth should be a tailwind for industry titans like Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Microsoft(NASDAQ:MSFT). Here's what investors should know about these two companies' opportunities in the cloud space in 2021.

Amazon's cloud computing business, Amazon Web Services (AWS), launched in 2006. Today, it's still the clear leader in the space, with a more extensive global infrastructure, a broader product offering, and a larger market share than any of its rivals. In fact, during the fourth quarter of 2020, AWS took 32 cents of every dollar spent on cloud infrastructure services.

Image source: Getty Images.

That dominance has attracted a diverse network of partners -- enterprises that use AWS to build solutions for their own clients. For example, consulting firm Deloitte developed its Smart Factory Fabric, a cloud-enabled manufacturing process, using Amazon IoT systems. This suite of applications brings smart manufacturing capabilities to its clients' operations. Notably, Deloitte's role as a consultant to 80% of Fortune Global 500 companies means it's well-positioned to bring new customers to AWS.

Not surprisingly, its robust product portfolio and large partner network have powered strong growth in Amazon's cloud computing business. Last year alone, AWS's revenue rose 30% to $45 billion.

Moreover, AWS's operating margin was 30% in 2020. Compare that to the combined operating margin of Amazon's other businesses -- 3%. The cloud segment's high profitability has helped the tech giant bankroll its e-commerce efforts, making it an even greater threat to traditional retailers. In other words, AWS generates enough cash that Amazon can afford to run its e-commerce business at a loss to gain market share.

AWS's lead in cloud computing should help the company grow its top and bottom lines quickly. That, in turn, should drive increased profitability for Amazon as a whole, while allowing it to fund the rapid innovation that has kept AWS ahead of its rivals.

Microsoft launched its cloud computing business, Microsoft Azure, in 2008. While it still trails AWS in terms of market share, the company is executing on a strong growth strategy, and Azure is gaining ground.

Market Share

Q4 2018

Q4 2019

Q4 2020

Amazon

33%

32%

32%

Microsoft

15%

18%

20%

Source: Canalys.

Specifically, Microsoft has focused on supporting hybrid and edge computing use cases. This strategy makes sense -- some types of data need to remain on company premises due to privacy or regulatory requirements. That can put an enterprise at a disadvantage, though, if it means they don't have access to cloud services to help them manage, analyze, and secure that data. But Microsoft has a solution.

First, Azure Arc extends Azure's management capabilities across any environment, from private data centers to public clouds. In other words, it allows clients to manage all their digital resources in a unified way, even if some of those resources are stored on-site or in a rival cloud like AWS. For example, Azure Arc makes it possible to train and run AI models using data stored in multiple different locations. That puts Microsoft ahead of rivals like AWS and Alphabet's Google Cloud in terms of its ability to power hybrid AI.

Second, Azure Stack allows clients to run their own Azure environments using on-premises servers. This makes it possible to bring Azure services -- think artificial intelligence, analytics, monitoring, and security -- to private data centers or even disconnected environments. Azure Stack also makes it possible for developers to build and run hybrid applications across cloud and on-premise locations.

In recent years, Microsoft has also forged partnerships with companies like Datadog, SpaceX, and General Motors that have helped expand Azure's client base. In another partnership that began in 2019, SAP started working with it to migrate its on-premise software customers to Azure. And in 2021, the two companies expanded this partnership, enabling SAP to integrate Microsoft Teams into its own software solutions.

On the whole, Microsoft's efforts have powered strong growth in its cloud computing business. In the company's fiscal 2020 (which ended June 30, 2020), Azure revenue surged 56%, and through the first two quarters of its fiscal 2021, sales were up 49% year over year.

Microsoft's size gives it an advantage over the vast majority of its rivals. And its focus on hybrid scenarios should power continued growth as more enterprises migrate to the cloud.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the official recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. Were motley! Questioning an investing thesis -- even one of our own -- helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.

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Career in Cloud Computing: Top job roles and how to get started – India Today

Posted: at 11:48 am

It's abundantly clear there is no going back to how things were pre-pandemic! Everything that we see has undergone a digital makeover and it's critical graduates and young professionals learn how to navigate the changed dynamics of the business world.

A key requirement for the future workforce will be the job roles in domains that are going to be integral to the future functioning of our businesses and economy. This is necessary not just for the sustenance of businesses, but also for bringing down the unemployment rate that is currently accelerating in our country.

Cloud Computing is one such critical domain. From facilitating online learning to supporting remote work, Cloud has emerged as a saviour in the pandemic/post-pandemic for business continuity. Seeing the surge of demand for Cloud services, it is safe to say that graduates and young professionals should understand and pursue careers in this domain.

This is a high-in-demand role in the domain. These professionals are responsible for programming solutions for the Cloud, including automation, orchestration, and integration.

These are professionals who implement the overall cloud strategy of their company. They analyse the requirements of the business and define relevant solutions using appropriate Cloud services.

These professionals are in charge of the security of the Cloud systems in their organisations, including identifying potential threats and recommend best-fit technologies to boost the security of the Cloud.

These are professionals tasked with managing Cloud-based data services, as well as hybrid data sources. They are responsible for identifying and introducing new data management and security technologies to their organisations.

They design, plan and implement Cloud networking solutions specific to the requirements of the organisation or its clients. They usually work with on-premises and cloud-based hardware and software to allow authorized users access to resources.

Regardless of educational background and work experience, you can get started with the Cloud if you have the passion and determination to succeed. Here is the step-by-step guide:

This is the first step for getting into the domain. Get an in-depth understanding of what Cloud is and what problems it solves. Get familiar with the three big players in the domain: Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the services they offer.

Equip yourself with a solid understanding of key topics in the domain such as Cloud Service Models, Cloud Formation & Architecture, Virtualization, and others. All three big players in the market offer both free and paid training courses for building fundamentals on Cloud computing.

Certifications will help you demonstrate your expertise and stay relevant in the ever-changing industry. Zero in on your area of interest in the domain and explore entry-level certifications offered by AWS, GCP, or Azure. Enroll in a career-based certification path and if possible, specialize by getting a role-based certification as well - especially popular are AWS, Azure, and GCP Cloud Developer, Architect, and Security certifications.

This is a good way of standing out and differentiating yourself from other cloud aspirants and getting noticed by recruiters and organizations. Moreover, most certification courses have hands-on training in labs, which will go a long way in preparing you for entry-level jobs.

Cloud computing is a vast field, and there is no end to the learning process. To excel you need to go beyond the immediate concepts, and learn other related skills, including programming languages, Cloud-focused architecture, platforms and applications - API & Web services, containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes), etc.

It's always a good idea to delve deeper into any domain if you want to sustain it in the long run. Improve your knowledge in Cloud Cryptography, Edge Computing, and other related topics. There are numerous resources available like online journals, research papers, credible blogs or you can opt for formal training.

Take up assignmentsminor projects to get experience in the technology and become familiar with Cloud. Some of the topics that you can excel with hands-on expertise are Cloud Migration for Infrastructure and Applications, Server management, and Cloud Monitoring.

Reach out to companies, ideally through your connections or networking sites like LinkedIn. Showcase your credentials and impress them with your hands-on expertise.

The Cloud computing domain is booming as we speak. The pandemic has validated how valuable Cloud is and there is no going back.

Businesses, small and large, all across are modernising their IT infrastructure by migrating to Cloud and are willing to compensate highly for the right talent in the domain. 'Right' being the keyword here! Become the talent that they are looking for by constantly upskilling and reskilling yourself.

By Peeush Bajpai, CEO, Springpeople.

Read: Explained: Why soft skills are important to excel in your career?

Read: Tips for undergraduate and postgraduate students looking to advance their career: All you need to know

Read: 9 in-demand IT careers in 2021-22

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Career in Cloud Computing: Top job roles and how to get started - India Today

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How Cloud Computing Can Be the Key to Ameliorating Outcomes While Mitigating Health Care Costs – Journal of Clinical Pathways

Posted: at 11:48 am

Cloud computing has been around in the health care industry for a few decades now. However, what's truly remarkable is that the adoption of this technology has increased at a frenetic pace only recently.

One 2019 research study by Technavio states that the global health care cloud technology market is anticipated to grow by USD 25.54 billion during 2020-2024. The coronavirus pandemic has only reinforced this trend further.

This new reality, along with new payment models and changes in patients' expectations, have together pushed cloud technology to the forefront. Today, the cloud is not only helping providers improve patient care, drive efficiency, and eliminate waste, but it is also playing a huge role in ensuring health care data safety by averting potential cyber attacks and thefts.

Integrating cloud computing into your practice can be the key to streamlining care delivery.

In this blog post, we'll discuss a few ways this state-of-the-art tech solution can support the health care industrys efforts to improve patient outcomes and mitigate costs in doing so.

1. Making Patient Data Interoperable while Mitigating Storage Costs

According to a recent survey conducted by the Center for Connected Medicine (CCM) in partnership with HIMMS Media, close to one-third of health care organizations report that their interoperability efforts are insufficient, even within their own organizations.

In most cases, physical data centers that are deployed on-premise not only demand an investment in hardware ahead of time, but they also come with ongoing costs of maintaining servers, spaces, cooling solutions, etc.

Cloud technology can be the solution to this persistent problem.

With health care organizations rapidly embracing virtual care delivery models such as telemedicine, especially amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the collaboration between various doctors, departments, and even institutions has become of increasing importance. The cloud enables physicians to share data in a hassle-free manner.

Health care cloud vendors can aid providers in seamlessly integrating various processes within the organization and lowering their data storage costs by managing the structure, and ensuring the harmonious functioning and maintenance of cloud storage services. This will significantly help care providers in focusing their efforts on ameliorating patient outcomes alone.

This, in turn, boosts interoperability across the organization and helps with faster care delivery.

2. Keeping Patient Information Secure at Each Stage of the Data Lifecycle

In 2018, health care data breaches of 500 or more medical records were being committed at a rate of approximately 1 per day. In 2020, the frequency at which these breaches were committed nearly doubled with the average number of breaches per day adding up to 1.76.

Source: HIPAA Journal

The fact that health care organizations need to have highly robust security measures in place to safeguard sensitive patient data is universally known.

Cloud computing adds supplemental layers of security and monitoring to health care data.

One best practice for health care organizations here would be to put adequate access controls in place. For instance, particulars about a patients medical condition and treatment can be blocked from back-office staff who dont require such details to do their work. Similarly, a patients financial information may be blocked from frontline care providers.

Telehealth is another technology where cloud computing is proving its potential. Getting a telemedicine platform developed for your practice that stores data on a cloud server can furnish robust security features such as end-to-end encryption of data, multi-factor authentication (MFA), etc. These ensure the patient data on your platform remains safeguarded at all times.

Today, a number of health care cloud providers also offer services in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Choosing a compliant provider can further ensure that all the sensitive data you store adheres to HIPAA Rules and remains protected at all times. This can significantly help providers avoid fines and penalties.

3.Furnishing Efficient and Integrated Patient Care

Todays patients are quite savvy about their wellbeing.Equipped with state-of-the-art digital solutions, these patients are willing to accept nothing less than high-quality medicineone that will deliver care in a patient-centric and streamlined manner, making an integrated model of care delivery critical for caregivers.

Cloud technology is playing a huge role in delivering patient-centric care.

The integration of cloud storage with patients electronic health records (EHR) has helped revolutionize collective patient care, making it hassle-free for authorized individuals from the medical staff to retrieve vital patient information from any remote location, and at any given point in time. This further promotes anytime care and augments patient outcomes.

With EHRs, every provider can have the same accurate and up-to-date information about a patient, as explained by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on their website. Better coordination can lead to better quality of care and improved patient outcomes.

The cloud-based software behind collaboration tools of the likes of video conferencing and enterprise messaging holds the potential to leave a positive influence on both health care teams and their patients.

Moving to the cloud for our communications was the best decision weve made, as were now connected with our patients and colleagues whether we are in the office, at home or traveling overseas, states Dr. Ravi Patel, founder of the Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center, Bakersfield, CA, in a recent press release.

Today, with the rapid innovation happening on the cloud technology front, the data gathered from remote patient monitoring devices can also be uploaded to a specific medical cloud or the user's private centralized cloud. This helps maintain a record of all the monitored data which can easily be retrieved at a later time by authorized medical personnel to suggest treatment.

All in all, cloud computing has transformed the health care industry in innumerable ways.

Now, this transformation may be occurring at a comparatively slower pace for some, but the growing need to make data more interoperable will eventually get many to notice the cloud and its endless benefits.

Having said that, it wouldnt be wrong to assume that the future of health care is in the cloud!

Rahul Varshneya is the co-founder and president ofArkenea, a digital health consulting firm. Rahul has been featured as a technology thought leader across Bloomberg TV, Forbes, HuffPost, Inc, among others.

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How Cloud Computing Can Be the Key to Ameliorating Outcomes While Mitigating Health Care Costs - Journal of Clinical Pathways

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