While one accepts that the cloud is here to stay, whether Mesh or Google\s Web 2.0 offerings, there are certain issues that need to be addressed that are as important as the technical ones (which i am still working on). So just to kick off a discussion some questions.

1. we know Mesh will sync data to your local device giving you control over your information, which is a legal necessity most places. Can't go to the IRS and say it rained and the cloud washed away my data :-) so will all cloud based information have this local mirror capability.

2. In most countries ISPs are now obliged to hand over client information if asked by the authorities under certain anti terrorist and other national security provisions. Would this apply to business and other info held in the cloud. Is the cloud the same as an ISP legally ?

3. we talk of broadband but it is a joke still in 80% of the world (because even existing "broadband" speed at the normal user level is not more than 256 Kbps. Higher speed lines have download limits and extra charges and end up being too expensive for individual and even SMB use. So how viable would it be to work with 50-100 MB autocad and other image files, all coming off the internet.?

4. In my ongoing battle for the groove way of doing things, the ability to access your data locally is a very big factor, (see 3 above). But along with groove also came security in the manner in which groove packages and stores (hides) data on the Disk. The native file name does not exist on disk and really cannot be hacked. Mesh as of now, and most other systems too, are simply copying files (open) to local store when requested. Along with anonymous location (the cloud) can we also have a standard for an anonymous storage format.

5. has anyone looked at the encryption aspects of feedsync, or is that another layer to be added by users / developers ?