Workshop: Computing in the Cloud
Monday and Tuesday January 14-15
Sponsored by Microsoft
Location: Friend Center convocation room, Princeton University campus
Open to the public — Registration information
“Computing in the cloud” is one name for services that run in a Web browser and store information in a provider’s data center — ranging from adaptations of familiar tools such as email and personal finance to new offerings such as virtual worlds and social networks. This workshop will bring together experts from computer science, law, politics and industry to explore the social and policy implications of this trend.
Monday, January 14 2007
| 10:00 – 11:15 | Registration |
| 11:15 – 11:25 | Introductory remarks by H. Vincent Poor |
| 11:20 – 12:00 | Survey talk by Ed Felten |
| 12:00 – 1:30 | Lunch, Convocation room |
| 1:30 – 3:00 | Panel 1: Possession and ownership of data |
| 3:00 – 3:30 | Break |
| 3:30 – 5:00 | Panel 2: Security and risk in the cloud |
| 5:00 – 6:00 | Social hour |
Tuesday, January 15
| 8:00 – 9:00 | Continental Breakfast |
| 9:00 – 10:00 | Princeton research presentation and discussion |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Break |
| 10:30 – 12:00 | Panel 3: Civics in the cloud |
| 12:00 – 1:30 | Lunch, convocation room |
| 1:30 – 3:00 | Panel 4: What’s next? |
| 3:00 – 3:15 | Closing remarks |
Panel 1: Possession and ownership of data
In cloud computing, a provider’s data center holds information that would more traditionally have been stored on the end user’s computer. How does this impact user privacy? To what extent do users “own” this data, and what obligations do the service providers have? What obligations should they have? Does moving the data to the provider’s data center improve security or endanger it?
- Joel Reidenberg, (home page), Professor of Law, Fordham University
- Timothy B. Lee, blogger at Technology Liberation Front and adjunct scholar, Cato Institute
- Marc Rotenberg, Executive Director, Electronic Privacy Information Center
Panel 2: Security and risk in the cloud
How does the move to centralized services affect the security and reliability of users’ interactions with technology? What new threats are likely to emerge? How might provider behavior, user behavior, or government policy need to change in response to those threats? How does the “open source” ethos work in a cloud computing environment?
- Marc Hedlund, founder and chief product officer, Wesabe.com
- Mihai Christodorescu (home page), researcher at IBM TJ Watson Research Center
- Benjamin Mako Hill — researcher at MIT Media Lab and Free Software Foundation
Panel 3: Civics in the cloud How and where can cloud computing best improve public knowledge and engagement in political issues? What has been achieved so far? What is possible in the long run? What moves by private actors, and what policy changes, might do the most to harness the power of cloud computing for civic engagement?
- Josh Tauberer (home page), founder of Govtrack.us
- Andrew Page, associate director, MAPLight.org
- John Wonderlich, Program Director, Sunlight Foundation
Panel 4: What’s next?
What new services might develop, and how will today’s services evolve? How well will cloud computing be likely to serve users, companies, investors, government, and the public over the longer run? Which social and policy problems will get worse due to cloud computing, and which will get better?
- Andrea LaPaugh (home page) — Professor of Computer Science, Princeton University
- Reihan Salam — The Atlantic Monthtly
- Jesse Robbins — O’Reilly Radar
Registration, which is free, carries two benefits: We’ll have a nametag waiting for you when you arrive, and — this is the important part — we’ll feed you lunch on both days. To register, please contact CITP’s program assistant, Laura Cummings-Abdo, at lcumming – at – princeton.edu. Include your name, affiliation and email address.