"Or is SQLServerCentral just a service and you don't care how it works, as long as it does."

For me, it's this. As we tell our own users, I don't care how it works behind-the-scenes, I care about the front-end and the content. That said, all my work is in a classified environment so "the cloud" has never, and will never, be a player for me. It's be an interesting read if you do go this route, but personally I could never benefit from lessons learned. Best of luck if you choose to do it!