[yq]

Just few things happened recently related to data on cloud.

1> Google deleted People's account who bought Pixel from reseller. They have to beg google to restore their data, contacts. Not going to happened if you have it in your own cloud.

2> Windows 10 is full of telemetry. Imagine someone knows exactly what software you used, when you used it, for how long. Advertisement are built-in with system level. You don't own your machine anymore, Windows 10 can decide when it want to upgrade itself then lock you out from using it for hours. Your data now is in Microsoft's cloud, but you don't decide how they can use it, who they are going to sell to.

For depository reason? Sure of course, cloud is reliable on up time, expandable with a few click. But if Cloud provider decided to wipe the account with whatever reason, what you are going to do?

[kesor]

If a cellular network, or a power-grid provider decided to foreclose your accounts. What are you going to do?

[arpa]

The difference is that i can build my own email server, file server, web server, and so can you. The internet needn't be in the hands of powerful few.

[RamenJunkie_]

You can also build your own power to some level, with solar and wind.

[arpa]

Not enough to power my mail & web server and an electric kettle, unfortunately, where I live, especially during winter months (~2-3kWh / day, when electricity is most needed). It's more viable to use diesel generator if i were thinking of going off-grid. To go on further minimizing dependency on something that isn't readily available, i'd probably go with gasoline engine generator equipped with wood gasifier [1]. Green power, unfortunately, is no libertarians dream - it only works when you can scale - that is, basically, if you're state-level actor.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_gas