SellaTheChemistJul 21

Universities need to think pretty carefully about who gets to look at their data. I have little confidence that our bosses would be any braver than Columbia’s if they were put to the test. And to pay enormous sums - that’s a euphemism for student debt - for products that put our confidential data at risk is very worrying. Everything we do is in the US cloud. Would we put everything in the Russian or Chinese cloud? Never would I have imagined the US as hostile. But…

https://social.edu.nl/@OpenTech_AUC/114874371633650446

OpenTech(AUC) (@OpenTech_AUC@social.edu.nl)

"Microsoft can't protect French data from US government access" "The Senate hearing exposed tensions between sovereignty rhetoric and practical implementation. While French officials promote digital independence, procurement decisions consistently favor non-European solutions for critical infrastructure projects." https://ppc.land/microsoft-cant-protect-french-data-from-us-government-access/ Where have we seen this before? Oh yes on our own university: https://opentech-auc.org/posts/2025-04-15-official-launch-of-nextcloud/ #DigitalSovereignty #BigTech #usfacism

SURF Mastodon
SzescstopniJul 21
Show threadBashStKid

@sellathechemist The only thing I can suggest is a pilot project for a European cloud, starting with the universities as we did a generation ago with the general internet, funded under Horizon, and then rapidly funded and expanded by a very slight business tax.

I don’t see any other path to shared data resources under a European data and privacy rights legal framework.

(Yes, there are plenty of stupid eu decisions, but I don’t see anything better)

Jul 21 at 5:29pmWeb
Show threadbert hubert 🇺🇦🇪🇺🇺🇦Jul 21
@BashStKid @sellathechemist a lot of writing and perhaps thinking on this European predicament can be found starting at https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/the-european-situation/ or https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/cloud-overview/. There are also paths out of this mess in there but they are not easy.
The European Cloud/Computing Situation - Bert Hubert's writings

A brief addition to the 50000 words I wrote earlier on the cloud: what is the European situation? Software Initially, companies and governments would buy licenses to software. You’d typically have a piece of software in your office, on one of your computers, to calculate payroll with. Most other computers would have copies of WordPerfect installed. This software would function for years without updates or maintenance. If WordPerfect-the-company would disappear, you would not even notice.

Bert Hubert's writings
Show threadeLearningTechieJul 21

@bert_hubert @BashStKid @sellathechemist They're so deeply entangled with Big Corp at this point, there's no will (or resource) to unchain things .. especially when Big Corp constantly comes up with 'unbeatable deals'. 🙄

I wish it were different, but for the moment the best step forward is grassroots mobilisation and creating demand for alternatives. 🤞

Show threadbert hubert 🇺🇦🇪🇺🇺🇦Jul 21
@eLearningTechie @BashStKid @sellathechemist one interesting place perhaps is https://www.safespring.com/en/ aimed at academia.
Nordic public Cloud Platform | Safespring

Safespring is the alternative that complies with laws and regulations within the EU.

Safespring
Show threadeLearningTechieJul 21
@bert_hubert Thank you for that. Any such links are very useful to have to hand.
Show threadBashStKidJul 21

@eLearningTechie @bert_hubert @sellathechemist I would like to think research universities are the best use case for multilingual, large database, intensive computing use of archival quality data sharing and controllable privacy.
Not to mention the possibilities for academic collaboration and publishing.

Not to upset anyone, but US universities are not going to do any of this, nor are the Indian or Chinese universities. We need to step up.

Show threadeLearningTechieJul 21

@BashStKid Oh I completely agree, but unfortunately that's not the reality I see where I am. Big Corp cloud is seen as resilient, scalable and secure and therefore better.

It's super frustrating and demoralising.

Show threadBashStKidJul 21
@eLearningTechie This is not a revolution I expect to be led by vice-chancellors.
Show threadeLearningTechieJul 21
@BashStKid Quite!
But things are starting to bubble in isolated pockets. Doing my bit to join those pockets up and amplify as best as I can.
Show threadBashStKidJul 21
@bert_hubert @sellathechemist Thanks for that. I thought I was already following you, but apparently not.
Show threadbert hubert 🇺🇦🇪🇺🇺🇦Jul 21
@BashStKid I changed instances some time ago, sometimes that breaks connections, perhaps that was it. Welcome back :-) There is a new cloud post coming soon..