Domain registrar 123-reg just conducted a survey to find out what regular people actually know about cloud computing.  Three quarters of those quizzed in the survey felt they could talk about cloud with some confidence and 36% admitted they had barely any understanding of the technology.

This gap in understanding cloud computing by the general public won’t be fixed with more education.  Cloud computing, as a concept, is something that’s defined any number of ways, thus even those who think they understand cloud computing, don’t really understand it.

“The cloud” has been two cool words that many want to work into a conversation.  However, without a clear understanding of just what cloud computing is, and the value that it can bring, we’re not much better off than before “the cloud” became the buzzword of the day.

If cloud computing is defined as a cure-all for all the woes of enterprise IT, and even the retail user, it won’t live up to its expectations.  We need to become better at defining the role of cloud computing for all levels of users, from those that have a causal interest in technology, to those who make their living from it.