So this is definitely an interesting article with some good ideas. But the main thrust isn't particularly interesting. It's always going to be true that buildin

So this is definitely an interesting article with some good ideas. But the main thrust isn't particularly interesting. It's always going to be true that building and operating your own is cheaper than using "the cloud"... so long as you are making use of it much of the time; and if you have the resources and facilities to build, operate, troubleshoot, and replace the hardware; and if you are sure about your long-term needs. But the decision isn't always that straightforward for most potential users. Also, look into using S3 for long-term storage, instead of leaving your stuff cold in EBS volumes. It's quite a bit cheaper.