What's the origin of the metaphor “cloud”?

1. Why is the cloud a metaphor?
2. What was the origin of the term cloud?
3. Who first used the term cloud?
4. Where does the expression cloud 9 come from?

Why is the cloud a metaphor?

Around 2010, casual Internet users were introduced to the idea that the digital world around them could be understood in terms of the “cloud.” As a metaphor, the cloud seems easy to grasp: our data is somewhere in the ether, floating, drifting and wireless, available wherever and whenever we need it.

What was the origin of the term cloud?

The term “cloud computing” itself was coined in 1996 within a Compaq internal document. The term “cloud” was originally linked to the concept of distributed computing, which went mainstream at Apple-spawned General Magic in the early 1990s, with even earlier mentions in academic work before that.

Who first used the term cloud?

The notion of network-based computing dates to the 1960s, but many believe the first use of “cloud computing” in its modern context occurred on August 9, 2006, when then Google CEO Eric Schmidt introduced the term to an industry conference.

Where does the expression cloud 9 come from?

According to their code abbreviations, zero represented the lowest clouds (stratus), and nine, the tallest clouds (cumulonimbus, or thunderstorm clouds). It's from this that the expression “cloud nine” was likely born!