I wonder how much money, time and resources this botnet has cost companies over the years? It seems whenever progress is made to shut them down, they build it even larger than before.
I think it really depends on your solution and what you are trying to accomplish. The cloud can offer levels of redundancy, speed and security at a much lower cost than if you needed to build it yourself. The process to scale requires less engineering and resources. The ability to link to globally distributed networks and a multitude of technologies with the "flip" of a switch will never be replaced by hardware. I think it takes a combination of the two to architect rock solid infrastructure. Just choose your providers wisely!
My last job made the jump to a Netflix model of unlimited PTO. On the surface it seemed great, however I found myself taking less time off. I think it comes down to what type of person you are. There were some who abused the policy, some like myself and some who continued with their normal vacation habits. In total, not much changed.