In preparation for some writings I have planned about A.I. this is the second reference document in support of my future writings that I am preparing. You can find the first here. I have been thinking about how I wanted to approach these things and I think that providing information about what these things are at the outset is important.

The terms I am discussing in this post I often see people writing or talking about as though they are some magical and amazing thing. They often attribute them to something vastly more impressive than they are.

Cloud

Talking about "the cloud" has become a very common thing. However, because people don't really understand what it really means I will often see people making speculations about the cloud as though it is something far larger in scope than it actually is.

Ultimately at the lowest level all "the cloud" means is "someone elses computer".

A good cloud is typically based off of virtual machines which are simply programs pretending to be an entire computer. Why would someone want to do that? The answer is easy. First many common applications (especially the web variety) barely use all the computing power and memory of a computer. So the idea arises that if we can run multiple programs each simulating being an entire computer then we could have one computer that was under utilized do the same work as many computers. This makes it very cost effective. For example: At my job where I am a network engineer we provide PBXes (phone systems) for many companies and call centers. For every physical server I install in our data center we can run 35 PBX servers. So each of our servers actually is acting like 35 servers. This is very cost effective and scales well. There is a second benefit.

The second benefit to virtualizing servers is that the entire server is stored as a file or set of files on the actual physical server. This means you can use these files to quickly move the virtual server from one physical server to another, you can also duplicate it. So you can build one server template and keep using that template to quickly spin up new servers based upon that template as needed.

Throw into that mix network attached storage (NAS) and you have servers that are large collections of storage (hard drives, or other media).

Combine all of these things together and that is the cloud. It is simply put. Renting space on someone elses computer. Though they typically handle backing them up, disaster recovery, and all of the things you normally would have to handle yourself.

It easier to scale and spin up new servers without having to keep buying and installing more and more hardware.

That is it. There is nothing else amazing about it. The most mystical thing about it is the name "the cloud".

HUMOR: You can't send your data into the cloud by trying to boil it on a stove. You also do not lose data when it rains.

This can be simple, yet ultimately that is what it is. Here is someone saying to stop saying it is just another server.

Yes, it has changed things. People realized they could make a business out of taking over the painful parts of maintaining a lot of servers. We will backup your data, deploy new resources and servers, etc as you scale, keep the equipment updated, and pay for electricity so you can focus on just using the servers for what you need.

That's basically it. Though this also made it easier for people to take advantage of it that don't know how to do any of those tasks. They don't need to know those details or have those skills.

Blockchain

The blockchain is indeed going to be used for some very powerful things. However, I see a lot of crazy speculations about Luciferian motives and religion with Blockchain mentioned like some scary word along with the other terms I am writing about here.

A blockchain is simply a linked list type structure tied to a hash table type algorithm implemented in a decentralized and self auditing format.

The techniques used are not mystical. They are not a biblical demonic force. They are data structures. These structures are used all over the place. The only uniqueness really about blockchains is the decentralized nature and whatever self repair/auditing is implemented.

Each node of the list points to a chunk of data. What type of data is stored on the linked lists can vary per blockchain. It can be just a currency. It can be social media like steemit. Yet each of these nodes must be replicated at other locations so that no data can ever be lost. If one or more storage locations go down then there needs to be a way to recover that data. In some blockchains this is handled via miners. In the steem blockchain this is handled by those we refer to as witnesses.

So the truly unique aspect is that it can be very difficult to destroy the data as it is spread and replicated to more and more locations. If it is setup correct it can also be difficult to corrupt it.

A linked list is essentially this.

ROOT -> NODE -> NODE-> NODE-> NODE->

You start at the root (beginning) of the list. The data for a node is stored here. There is also a link pointing at the location of the next node. (There are more complex lists with more links)

So to add a new node you just add the data to the end and make sure the previous last node points to the new node as the next node.

Now a hash table uses a mathematical calculation to generate a unique ID or position. Often the linked list will include a BLOCK ID as part of a blockchain in the node's position. Part of what miners have done is verify blocks are unique, and other maintenance tasks.

The main thing to realize is linked lists and hash tables are not complex concepts and are used all over the place. Queues, Stacks, and many other things are also similar in many respects.

CHAIN = Linked list.
BLOCK = node/data in the list.

Blockchain is simply a hash table based linked list implemented in a decentralized resilient format.

So talking about it as Luciferian or some sense like it is "black magic" and a sign of the end times seems quite silly if you actually know what a blockchain is.

The potential of what can be done with a blockchain is huge. Yet it is not as awe inspiring as many people make it out to be.

It will change our lifes. It already is. Yet, it is nothing more than a new tool. A person strapping a stone to a stick and making early tools also changed lives. Yet a stone and a stick was not a truly awe inspiring thing.

People can forget that it is a stone and a stick.

Likewise people can forget a blockchain is a linked list. They'll treat their own personal speculations about this term and others as fact, and not stop to realize they are speculating. They'll start big movements, make people paranoid, and take action based upon fear and certainty about their speculations.

Artificial Intelligence

This term has become very large. It means very different things depending upon how it is used. There are three different forms this comes in that I am aware of.

First there is the big one that can think, act, and reason like a human being or beyond a human being. This is one type.

Second there is something similar to the first above but thinking beyond and different from human beings due to different input, and different senses.

Third there is what in the past was simply known as an Expert System.

Expert System

An expert system is simply a program or system developed to solve specific tasks. Examples of these things would be robotic factory workers, chess programs that can defeat chess masters, facial recognition programs, natural language processing, a computer opponent or NPC in a game, image recognition, etc.

The expert system is heavily used in our world. Yet it is not even remotely close to the first or second type of AI as described above. That does not mean there is no danger.

Yet when people speak about AI in our world today it is mostly all simply expert systems. It is really good at simulating, and or reacting to certain situations and commands.

I will talk about AI and Expert systems in a lot of detail here very soon.

For now suffice to say that there is a ton of speculation popping up all over the place based around these terms. Often it is very clear the people have no clue what they are talking about and are using these terms as buzzwords because they realize most other people don't understand them either so it adds some mysticism and mystery to what they are talking about.

If you know what those terms mean it often makes what they are saying seem quite naive.

This is a danger of treating speculation as fact. Especially, when you base such speculations on topics you only know at a limited level.