The bit about the Cloud being like electricity is very insightful.
However, if you've lived anywhere outside the US and Europe, you know that grid electricity is not as available as you're used to. In third world countries, electricity goes off periodically, specially in places where there are wars.
When I was young (and living in the middle east) I heard a joke where 3 men: an American, an Arab, and an African were asked the question: what's your opinion about electricity going off? The American says: does electricity go off? The African says: what's electricity? The Arab says: what's an opinion?
I visited Iraq in 2000; practically everyone had an electricity generator at home. I had to learn how to operate it and refill it with gas.
That should read "The Africa says, 'What electricity?'"
We certainly know what electricity is; we've heard of it and understand its usefulness; we even use it almost daily. However, as you aptly noted, its availability is sufficiently irregular and inconsistent that we expect it to be off as much as it is on.
Sure, maybe it's not bad in Brazil, but there are many places where it's not super good.
In Syria and Jordan, it goes off for about 3 hours every two weeks, or something like that (not scheduled, just randomly). I think the same is true for Egypt. I've heard the same about India. In fact, I've heard from a trusted person that computer/software offices in India have their own backup power generators. I can only assume the same applies to hotels and factories.
However, if you've lived anywhere outside the US and Europe, you know that grid electricity is not as available as you're used to. In third world countries, electricity goes off periodically, specially in places where there are wars.
When I was young (and living in the middle east) I heard a joke where 3 men: an American, an Arab, and an African were asked the question: what's your opinion about electricity going off? The American says: does electricity go off? The African says: what's electricity? The Arab says: what's an opinion?
I visited Iraq in 2000; practically everyone had an electricity generator at home. I had to learn how to operate it and refill it with gas.