On a day like April 1st, I think it’s important to remember to laugh as much as possible, no matter who got the upper hand in the pranking this year. (Don’t worry guys, you’ll get them next year!)

Something I’ve always thought was funny is why the cloud is actually called "the cloud". We all know how useful cloud computing is to your business—storing, managing, and processing all your data so it isn’t limited to one hard drive. There are various computing services including private, hybrid, or public, each one allowing for the company to apply the software according to their individual needs. By utilizing the cloud, companies benefit from the self-service provisioning, elasticity, and pay-per-use features. The cloud is a true gift to companies, allowing them compute resources as a utility, rather than having to create and maintain computing infrastructures in-house. It truly has transformed the way companies manage their data, and things would be a lot different without it.

Now, back to my original question, why is it called "the cloud"? Is it because it’s such an abstract and nonmaterial concept, that we can’t really imagine where our data is being stored, similar to an actual cloud? Or is it simply a convenient name?

You can sit here and speculate, or you can take a look at this cute cartoon by Cartoon Stock, that asks an even more in depth question. Which animal-shaped cloud stores your data?

Happy pranking everyone, and keep on laughing!