theirishgoodbuy

At the risk of sounding cultish: I would argue “the cloud” is a bit more than just renting someone else’s computer. Hosting companies existed long before the “cloud”.

The difference is the abstraction layer. I would define “the cloud” as a layer that abstracts away the physical infrastructure. (Which works until it doesn’t but that’s a longer comment.)

You can even apply “the cloud” to your very own fleet of computers with the right software.

Like I said in the original comment, it’s a specific solution to a specific problem. Whether it’s right for your system I have no idea.

The way I look at it is: there are more tools in the toolbox than ever before. Which makes our judgement (the thing they really pay us for) even more important. Kubernetes, for example, is a specific solution to a specific problem. The solution is complex but so is the problem. If k8s give you the right trade-offs for your situation, then it’s not busy work.

Of course, there are plenty of project where judgement Is thrown out the window in favor of adding a buzzword to everyone’s resume. I’ve heard it called “promotion-based architecture”, as in you pick the technology most likely to get you promoted. (If that works, it says all sorts of not great things about your organization).

Regardless, I don’t think the availability of tools is the root problem. It’s and industry-wide lack of emphasis on identifying and understanding the problem first.