The Internet as a network is often represented as a cloud. In some ways it may be an indication of how we are behaving collectively when reading or sharing information.

Not so long ago (10 years), I was sitting in Computer Sciences classes at McGill University where I was learning about good database practice to ensure data integrity, normalization and good quality results. Large database system that banks are using have been designed with this high quality in mind. After all, who wants to have a some money, maybe more maybe less, no real knowledge of bills or prices.

Yet, somehow, this is more or less what we get with news and information on the web today. Shall we trust what we read or share? Similarly, computer systems that are build to sustain huge number of user are now build more for the sake of giving quick response time to the user (loading your web page quicker) than for making sure that the data integrity is sage. This is partly the trend of what is called “noSQL”.

After all, most outlets on the web today are desperate to show you more ads to try to make money than to give you accurate data, information and news.

Give it to me now, give it to me raw, share it quick, quicker than my friends so I get more exposures and prestige. Quantity, speed. I don’t care about quality and integrity.

Is the cloud clouding our judgement?