Internet as a Resource: the Cloud and What It Lets Us Do

 

By storyset

What is Cloud Computing?

When you think of the cloud in terms of the Internet, you might picture a sort of immaterial cloud in the sky that all computers are connected to, storing and transmitting information between the connected devices. An important thing to realize is that the cloud is not a single entity. It is, in reality, a hive of interconnected servers, storage devices, and networking equipment, all owned and controlled by different companies or individuals like Microsoft, Amazon, Netflix, Google, and maybe even your enterprising neighbor Joe, who owns some servers. Cloud computing occurs when these groups allow people (their customers) to use their hardware remotely while still receiving the results of that computing on their own computers. Such a system enables cloud backups, streaming, server rentals, and remote computer access.

Let's say we have a tool store. The store owner has a server they use to host their website, and that is usually sufficient. However, they now want to have a sale—during Christmas, of all times—and their hardware simply won't be enough to serve every visitor with optimal performance. Instead of manually upgrading their equipment, which could cost thousands of dollars and require significant effort, the store owner can go to a cloud service provider like Microsoft and purchase the use of some of their servers for the duration of the sale. The tool store’s site visitors will get the full experience, regardless of how many people are using the site at once, because one of the main advantages of cloud computing is its easy scalability and general affordability. Cloud service providers charge only for the computing resources used and the duration they are required, similar to a gas or taxi meter. Customers can quickly buy more computing resources—automatically, even—without installing any new equipment themselves.

Cloud computing has essentially made the location where a computing operation is performed and the output no longer restricted to the computer where the operation originated. That flexibility has enabled significant changes in available technology and digital markets.

The Long Tail

Chris Anderson from WIRED brought up some good points regarding the new entertainment market standards set by cloud computing. In Anderson's The Long Tail, he described a crucial misnomer in people's understanding of which movies, TV shows, books, and songs are worth marketing to audiences: everything makes money. Not just the major hits, but also niche entertainment pieces generate revenue simply by being numerous. In the brick-and-mortar days, what went on the shelves needed to be something that would generate significant profit—it had to be popular. With the advent of cheap, easily scalable computing infrastructure, that is no longer the case (Anderson, 2004). Customers can access vast databases of digital products with just a few clicks. The systems stocking and organizing the selection can be automated, and no entertainment piece will be a wasted investment simply because it isn’t a bestseller. The "misses" will make money too.

Cloud computing has opened the door for niche authors to have an audience on a scale previously impossible.

Freemium

When browsing the web, you have likely encountered several examples of SaaS, even if you didn’t realize it at the time. Software as a Service (SaaS) is a type of cloud computing where a service provider hosts software as an application online, usually accessible through a web browser. Users can then access the application from anywhere with an Internet connection.

SaaS has subsequently given rise to the modern version of a more open, digitized free-use model for applications. Freemium is a business model focused on increasing customer acquisition by offering some application features for free to the wider Internet. By allowing users to access parts of the software for free—without any trial or plan sign-ups—companies can advertise their application, establish a potential customer base, and drive more people to purchase the full product at a lower cost than traditional customer acquisition methods. Yes, it costs money to let people use SaaS for free, but if done well, the number of paying customers Freemium attracts can more than compensate for these costs. Success depends on balancing free and paid features, enticing users to upgrade, and demonstrating the application's value (Paddle, 2025).

Freemium is an evolution of the typical software application marketing strategy that emerged with the Internet and cloud computing, one that has transformed how we use any kind of software application on the web.

Content Management Systems

For many businesses and individuals today, cloud computing is primarily about content management systems (CMS). A CMS is a software application that allows people to create, edit, manage, store, and host web content—typically websites—at scale. There are many CMS platforms available today, including Blogger, WordPress, Webflow, and Shopify. These platforms enable users to create websites easily, requiring little to no technical experience, and quickly host them with custom domain names (the main part of the URL).

My experience with different CMS platforms is varied, though not extensive. I have worked with Webflow, WordPress, and Blogger in the past, so here I will explain my experience with another CMS: Site123.

Site123

Site123 is a freemium website builder-type CMS designed for the rapid deployment of small-scale websites, particularly in the blog and small business sectors. It does offer some eCommerce features, but they are not substantial enough for anything beyond minor to medium-scale operations.

When I first accessed the design interface, I was presented with a starter homepage featuring some linked pages as blocks, along with a sidebar containing the page and block layout menu. It took me a while to learn the limits of what Site123 would allow me to do, but once I did, the design process became incredibly fast. I could add text and image content as soon as I thought of it, without worrying about responsiveness, as the block templates were already mobile-friendly. The entire process felt like something I could complete in minutes if I had my content pre-made and a workflow established. My only real issue was the reason I could move so quickly.

 My Fake Website Builder Site Made With Site123: "Like Magic"

Site123 does not allow users to design their own content blocks—they can only select from a menu of pre-made block templates and change the text, images, and colors. While this makes website creation extremely quick, it also results in cookie-cutter sites with minimal variation. As someone who has built multiple websites from scratch without a CMS, I found these constraints incredibly stifling. I was stuck with what Site123 provided and couldn't modify the blocks, even to improve them.

When I compare Site123 to another CMS like Webflow, I find that there is no comparison to be had, Webflow is just better. Such heavy restraints on what I can do with layout, style, design, and content just grates on me as someone who works with websites at the code level. I would recommend Site123 to someone who has no technical experience, needs a website today, or just needs a simple place on the web to direct clients. If you want complicated features like search engine optimization management (SEO, ways to rank higher in search results), large inventories, big websites, custom layouts, CMS plugins (extra software to help with the development or add content), and complicated themes. A CMS geared towards bigger and better websites like Webflow can provide all of these instead.

In Conclusion

Cloud computing has changed the digital world, our technology, our markets, business strategies, everything that can be online has felt the touch of the cloud in some form. Understanding what the cloud is and what it does for everyone that uses it creates an understanding of the world's current trends towards remote computing, and the potential developments that could stem from it. To achieve that kind of knowledge, you have to follow the path of the tech-oriented: learn, learn, and keep learning. Technology changes and evolves everyday. So can do.

References

Anderson, C. (2004, October 4). The Long Tail. WIRED.

Paddle. (2025). Everything you need to know about freemium in 2023. Www.paddle.com. https://www.paddle.com/resources/freemium