About digitalization and more, not just this and that at all.
Life as a Service (LaaS) found expression in the minds of several people or groups: it has been considered from the perspective of overall digitalization of life, turning all its aspects into services and requiring a new political system of capitalocommunism, and a self-critical view from the USA considers the service-ization of life as an attempt to address the issue of excessive resource consumption (acknowledging that Americans consume resources at a rate four times greater than what the planet can sustainably provide). What unites these views is the identification of a trend away from private ownership, such as vehicles, computing devices, homes, and even clothing. However, how does the concept of life as a service actually relate to those that have already gained widespread recognition, IaaS, SaaS, PaaS, and which of them can be compared? How can we ensure security and ethical compliance with our worldview in these new conditions: we will explore existing problems and some potential solutions.
Today, I also came to the realization of the concept of life as a service, not yet knowing that similar thoughts had already been expressed. But I discovered this new concept as a warning, as a boundary that cannot be crossed, as a reminder that life cannot indeed be perceived as a service. On the other hand, the very disclosure of thoughts becomes a service due to the openness of the network and the presence of search engines. The thought as a service allows one to instantly find like-minded individuals and assess the differences between one’s views and theirs, while search engines create an invisible library, which in truth resembles a landfill, yet precious gems are also thrown away on such landfills—just like bags of money recently discovered. However, the online space may resemble a landfill precisely because humanity's thinking represents this landfill, meaning that language as a service itself is a dump of thoughts. But what distinguishes intelligence is the ability to unerringly identify the wheat from the chaff, even if all the grains carry an uncertain and probabilistic nature. Thus, with property, in the end, all residents and owners are merely temporary possessors, although they believe they can abstractly pass their rights to children and grandchildren indefinitely. But first, children must be born and raised; only then will it be their right—to accept from us the gift of our property or to go their own way, unburdened by property.
My concept of housing and utilities differs from the aforementioned observations of social changes in the daily existence in which the service sector expands to such an extent that it fills almost the entire observable universe of mundane thought. The distinction lies in a different perspective on what is happening: instead of complete digitalization, I propose a limited one, and life as a service, in its literal sense, is nothing other than the analogy of a person acting as a machine, meaning performing some work as part of their life. Previously I defined the differences between people providing services and similar cases of software or operating system provision as a service from a genuine creative path, the essence of which cannot be reduced to the concept of services. For example, one can hire a photographer or commission a painting from an artist (and this has been the case throughout various epochs), creating a high chance of turning creativity into a service. Alternatively, one can reject this institutionalization and take photographs and write without any regard for the monetary system and pragmatic significance. This encapsulates the meaning previously proposed. , according to which not only monetary but also any practical motivation is linked to a pragmatic principle, while the cultural principle applies different foundations and much deeper aspirations. For instance, religious and philosophical creativity, the pursuit of understanding the world in physics, and the discovery and application of pure mathematics all significantly endow cultural pragmatism as a basis for human activity development, although I regard cultural pragmatism as a phenomenon of postmodern society in relation to contemporary times. Therefore, even in a dream or a car as a service, we can find entirely different manifestations: from providing a certain set of quality standards in hotel chains and taxi services to the unknown provision of apartments for shared living within some community (for instance, fans or travelers), or borrowing a friend's car to go for a ride. In this respect, we can apply the depths of service provision found in the field of information technology to consider all other aspects of life in terms of service provision.
As is well known, with the development of cloud technologies, instead of owning hardware, one can now use equipment remotely on a rental basis. This may include networking devices or computational power. However, renting equipment is just the first level, albeit the most profound, in the direction of service provision; it entails obtaining Infrastructure as a Service or shortened IaaS (English, IaaS from Infrastructure as a Service). But in this case, similar to a house, we only get the 'hardware' or 'concrete,' meaning bare walls, with electricity and water supplied. How we use the water and electricity to create a living environment in the apartment is up to the residents. Essentially, an apartment building resembles a server cluster, where parts can be allocated for various needs. However, in the IaaS framework, users do not receive an operating system for computing or applications. If they obtain these over the network, we then transition to the model Platform as a Service or PaaS (English, PaaS from Platform as a Service) and Software as a Service or SaaS (English, SaaS from Software as a Service). It is important to note that in every case, cloud providers not only grant usage rights but also ensure constant maintenance and updates of what they offer, as well as address any arising issues. Essentially, our home, corresponding to the IaaS model, should have security and support services for residents, meaning it should be viewed in conjunction with a management organization. In the PaaS model, these services are supplemented by provisions for implementing user tasks directly through application means, such as the presence of an operating system, database management systems, and networking services, while the choice and maintenance of end-user and intermediary tools (such as content management systems, office, and production applications) for solving tasks remain the responsibility of the user. For homes, the fundamental bases for managing domestic life consist of having storage spaces (analogous to a file system), work and sleeping areas, amenities, and entertainment spaces with equipment and internal software (as TVs and refrigerators now include operating systems that can increasingly host applications; beds typically do not have an operating system, but this only indicates that such an operating system is not automatically configured; nevertheless, the bed with the mattress itself is a platform, while the bedding is an example of an application analogy). Generally, the PaaS concepts correspond to furnished apartments and rooms with maintained bathroom/toilet facilities. Finally, the SaaS model means providing already configured (at least installed and updated) and ready-to-use software. In this model, we may not even be aware of which operating system processes our data; primarily, we will just evaluate the versions of database management systems and software environments, the available memory size, speed, and reliability of the connection. Although for security purposes and compliance with our own principles of conducting activities and life in general, we will need to clarify all technical details and compare various policies, ranging from ethical considerations and environmental protection policies to security policies. In fact, we do not sever our connection to our own life and worldview. One of the prevalent elements today is functionalism and self-removal from the ethical execution of transactions, where individuals resemble those dealers in non-ferrous metals who neglect to inquire about the origins of the items they buy and sell. Similarly, the spread of IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS concepts may increasingly distance people from thoughts about the fact that cooling systems operate in data centers, employing less efficient thermal solutions that are cheaper or more reliable, leading to a greater amount of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Furthermore, in terms of security, personal inspection accompanied by relevant specialists may be necessary to establish compliance with requirements and to monitor the actual execution of declared policies. Therefore, we essentially face a paradox in transitioning to service-based models where the need for control and management of delegated responsibilities increases, while formally it is often declared that personal maintenance of equipment and services transforms into a worry-free service removing the 'headache' associated with accompanying processes. However, this can mainly happen when users have not thought much about issues of backup and archiving, reliability enhancement, the impact of their assets on the environment, and ensuring security. In this case, even familiarizing oneself with measures taken by professional computing service maintainers will require some basic computer literacy to have any understanding of them, and not just basics, to be capable of monitoring the activities of those providing services to them. Likewise, when we check into a hotel, we start using soap, shampoo, water, dining in the restaurant, and sleeping on provided bedding, but we usually do not consider that soaps and shampoos contain harmful substances, that water does not undergo sufficient purification before and after use, or that restaurant food may not align with certain ethical and religious beliefs. Here, we are inadvertently applying the SaaS model, and the equivalent of software in this case includes bedding, kitchen, bathroom, and television provisions. This can be termed not as software, but as programmable in the sense that it is defined by local societal and organizational culture and linguistic scenarios.
However, everyone is aware of the customizable forms of furniture and even exoskeletons that turn the body into a service, especially if the exoskeleton or avatar can be rented. Already today, there are not only mechanical transforming chairs but also digital ones. What type of cloud service model can such a solution be classified as:
By choosing Software as a Service (SaaS) and receiving only initial information about the provision of services and infrastructure, we find ourselves in an era of postmodernity where we always compromise, or we can try to minimize this compromise and look for SaaS that meets security requirements, for instance, by ensuring that potentially hazardous chemicals are not used or finding 'green' servers powered entirely by renewable energy sources. The problem is that like with other mass-provided services, we agree to a certain institutionally defined set of norms, such as privacy policies or compliance with the legislation of various countries, but we often lack the time to familiarize ourselves with numerous documents and the legislation of different countries (which are also subject to change), the ability to verify compliance with laws and policies, and the resources to choose much more expensive (but more compliant with our requirements) options.
By scaling the concept of cloud computing to other aspects of public life, we can create the following table that generally aligns with the ideas of Society 5.0.
Table. Correlation of cloud service concepts with some elements of private and public life. *Note: 'as a Service' is abbreviated as 'aaS'.
Cloud computing services
Culture and arts
Residential and production spaces
City
Country
Ownership of infrastructure and associated assets
IaaS
Photo booth, renting a camera from friends
Building as a Service
Infrastructure as a Service, space as a Service
Security as a Service, infrastructure as a Service
PaaS
Camera, phone as a Service
Furniture as a Service, equipment as a Service
Museums as a Service, renting a hall/stage/area
Education, libraries
SaaS
Photo session, experiences as a Service
Food as a Service, entertainment as a Service
food service, entertainment, theater
events, healthcare
Life as a Service
Overall, people can exist at various levels of proximity to 'life as a service': for instance, renting a vacation home, having an apartment in the city, and using a hotel while on holiday. Just as they may use a self-configured operating system and office applications at home, at work they utilize settings configured by their employer, making necessary adjustments, while on the go accessing cloud-based office and business applications. It's important to understand that irrespective of the prevalence of the software as a service model (SaaS), employers have already been providing SaaS to employees by designating departments responsible for the relevant functions. This means they have been offering employees services for the installation and maintenance of software needed to perform tasks in the workplace. On the other hand, network organizations and remote work can often lead to a shift in the provision of SaaS from employers to third-party organizations, which sparks the emergence of new markets where corresponding SaaS solutions spread.
Previously, IkU partially owned the service centers of manufacturers or third-party centers where computing equipment was serviced, and manufacturers of portable devices widely utilized the PC level, equipping devices with operating systems and a basic set of applications. Today, the idea of assembling a phone from components can evoke some confusion, whereas DIY assembly of desktop computing devices still remains a normal process, although it is increasingly less common. Overall, the shifts from ownership at the IkU level, to the PC level, and further from the PC level to the POkU level are viewed as a means to ease life and reduce associated costs. However, it is important to understand that there is equipment and infrastructure that is indeed underutilized and can be used more efficiently with the spread of network organizations and technologies, such as cars or computers, ovens, beds, mixers, and drills, which are not utilized for most of the day unlike a taxi fleet and servers. There are also homes where people live their entire lives, bookshelves storing family books, refrigerators nearly filled with useful food, etc. People "merge" with things, and this disaggregation can signify a loss of self. Choosing a technological model means not only selecting political preferences but also a philosophical shift in the way of existence: a move from sedentism towards nomadism. Reducing transactional and infrastructural costs will increasingly transform life into a series of services, allowing greater independence from location and function. This increase in efficiency is necessary for the preservation of the planet, so people must simply learn to let go of attachments and merges, although they should be chosen and preserved when necessary and when special feelings and attachments are concerned, especially since a home library in paper form can even reduce greenhouse gas emissions: reading a physical book does not require additional energy compared to operating a computing device, and its production either binds some carbon in the used wood or allows for landfill reduction (if recycled plastic is used for the pages).
Life as a Service (LaaS) can be viewed from two perspectives: on one hand, it embodies the lives of those who organize and deliver services to us, representing the cloud services and experiences we receive, integrating a part of other people's lives into our own as impressions during moments when we access these services. On the other hand, it reflects our own life, in which we apply either our own norms, beliefs, convictions, and attitudes or trust the frameworks and scenarios of the surrounding world, impacting the lives of others in various ways, sometimes directly delivering services through actions. Typically, in social phenomena, this mutual influence is bidirectional. However, in mass culture, this is often replaced by a predominantly one-way process of influence based on trust in idols or brands. In such cases, we risk "closing" our eyes to violations of privacy and security, diverging from our own feelings and beliefs. Often, this in the context of digitization means trusting technology that starts to appear "neutral." Yet this assumption can create a source of illusions regarding safety, such as when we trust certain technologies, ratings, and reviews while traveling to an unknown country, selecting a suitable driver and accommodation. In this world, even factual and truthful stories might not equate to an acceptable level of reliability, while mass news and public statements increasingly diverge from reality. The reason for this lies in the one-directional influence of mass culture, lacking feedback mechanisms, which should be rooted in life as reality rather than its functional simplification as a set of services.
The materials mentioned at the beginning of the article examine the concept of Housing and Utility Services (ЖкУ) from the perspective of a mass consumer seeking services in the era of digitalization, viewing it as a foundation for more efficient resource usage and realities that cease to be private property. However, as correctly noted in comments about these visions, the concept of ownership does not vanish in this case; rather, it shifts to the control or possession of service providers, ranging from hotels with restaurants to cloud computing centers. As for levels, the authors largely focus only on the level of Consumer Price Index (ПОкУ), providing numerous applications and nodes related to various aspects of our lives as examples. But it is akin to a theater: one cannot turn it into an online cinema, and a page with theater ratings is entirely different from a page with restaurant ratings. Ultimately, on pages where people express their own identity, one can find its components, but only until they become pages providing services (this is where personal culture diverges from pragmatism). Overall, one might question the very representation of cultural phenomena in the digital space and the capability to subsequently present the cultural aspect of any life facet in a digital format, since at best, such representation is merely a significant distortion, rather than an approximation of the abstraction of reality that we achieve, for example, through languages.
However, with the advent of the ability to rent personal vehicles and even find a travel companion within a shared platform or rent out one's own apartment, we can also expect the emergence of an independent computing network to address office and entertainment tasks, as well as a broader distribution of storage networks similar to those currently existing for scientific distributed computing or cryptocurrency issuance for file distribution. Yet, there are several significant problems that hinder the broader adoption of some technological solutions, such as independent search engines, as a publicly accessible and widespread service. First, the very openness often falls within the realm of globalization, which may not be acceptable to the majority of people on the planet. Thus, solutions that anticipate participation from individuals using their resources could be viewed as an attempt to obligate every apartment owner to host a certain number of tenants each year. Second, the business models themselves are based on monetizing advertising and the information provided, which sustain the activities of major information corporations, but from which users may prefer to retreat or seek to limit if they reflect on it. Third, more attractive and ideal solutions often prove to be more complex and costly to implement and maintain, even if they are distributed for free. In fact, here we discover the key parameter of software usage: often the costs of maintenance, executing transactions, ensuring safety, and, especially, assessing social and environmental impacts can be much higher than the perceived initial costs. On the other hand, these costs and risks exist in relation to traditional services as well, particularly in terms of software usage, although in traditional service organizations, methods of reducing relevant risks tend to be more industrial. What may currently be lacking, but could serve as a vision for the future, is a system for independent quality evaluation and the relevant quality parameters by which services can be assessed. One part of such a system could be reviews from acquaintances and friends whom we trust and who are knowledgeable in a given area. Another part could be independent audits conducted by journalists with a clear display of the procedures carried out; however, it would again be preferable for the findings to be summarized according to general criteria and be available for automated analysis. Lastly, another component could involve open broadcasts of the service delivery process, such as a camera installed in a taxi cab or in a restaurant kitchen, reports filmed by tenants, visitors to data and computing centers, etc.
While all such materials may be difficult to assess and review, modern technologies for processing big data and augmented reality will eventually solve the challenges of video processing, including live broadcasts. Creating such a system will reduce uncertainties related to turning life into services, fostering greater awareness of this process. However, in this scenario, the very notion of 'mass' culture will lose its significance, as it will revert to diversity, where various territories, groups, and individuals will compete under common conditions but based on different cultural frameworks, allowing the processes of cooking and laundry to be evaluated just as much as the energy efficiency of a data center cooling system.
I believe it is wise to maintain pockets of 'seclusion' and not turn certain aspects of life into services. However, overall, the quality of life as open, verified, understandable, and efficient services should increase tremendously. This is partly because unreasonable pricing for verified quality services will fade amidst a sea of mediocrity, and institutional and transactional costs—such as compliance with standards, completing numerous forms, obtaining permits, and analyzing and comparing diverse information—will significantly decline. Most importantly, openness regarding the nuances of service provision leads to the unveiling of processes as parts of life. While this may not encompass all of life, at least in its pragmatic aspect, it allows for establishing a process of bilateral interaction between the service providers and recipients— a process that defines, optimizes, and maintains social connections and relationships with the surrounding world, not only in a digital representation but also in reality. This process does not reduce life to services or equate services with life; rather, it imbues services with a vitality that exists through digital embodiment.
Conclusions: services, particularly those based on digital technologies, reveal only one aspect of life, specifically its pragmatic part, aimed at achieving a certain known state and meeting a set of quality standards. Above, we compared three levels of service penetration into life, both for cloud technologies and for other aspects of life where digital technologies are also involved.
The levels signify a gradual replacement of self-performed actions with the achievement of similar states through managed external processes controlled by people or by people themselves. The levels and comparisons can be applied to the lives of individuals as well as their associations in small groups, and also in organizations. The attempt to give the concept of ‘life as a service’ a philosophical interpretation is contradicted by the confirmation that life as a service is just one of its many facets and cannot be reduced to the service sector without losing its existential significance.
Source: habr.com
