One way that David Glazer knows that the future of computing, namely cloud computing, is here is that people are now writing books about it. Although it has not always been a given that this would be the direction social computing would take, it is clearly where we are headed now. 

People are naturally interested in other people. We want to connect and share with each other quickly and easily. But social computing as it exists now has many weaknesses that make us frustrated and uneasy. Barriers include multiple passwords, confirming identity, spam, and how to trust sites to which we send our personal information.

But Glazer has found that there is no lack of interest in solutions. What's next is for applications to be built; he proposes starting with OpenSocial. Such applications must also fit real-world use, and companies must commit to using them. In short, Glazer says, if you want to be a part of the future of computing, get involved now.