The
underlying technology that allows us to freely and quickly communicate these
days might still be around after future ITU meetings might have finally adopted some decisions
that could somehow restrict access to the internet as we know it today.
Google
and Facebook are considering for quite some time now to relocate their servers,
somewhere where no current authority can reach them. Possible locations are:
1).
Out at see, in the international waters
2).
At the South or North Pole (again, no jurisdiction around)
3).
Or even in space, orbiting at some 20.000 m above (clearly beyond the reach of
any government)
Still,
all these locations are quite vulnerable to military attacks from whoever, so
Google and Facebook should also build armies to defend their “no man’s land
servers”.
1).
Locations might seem to some extent the script of a Hollywood SF movie, but
they are actually business plans. An old oil rig transformed into a server is
not something very unrealistic. The rig could also provide it’s own power using
underwater power turbines that are now available.
Another
idea is to create mobile data center platforms out at sea by
stacking containers filled with servers. More details here:
2).
The Arctic server relocation is even more feasible. The cool air around is the
perfect natural cooler for immense data centers, that could also be powered by
independent wind power sources. This is just an idea now, but steps towards it
have been already taken by Facebook. Recently, Facebook inaugurated a location
that still belongs to a certain country, but this might only be a good exercise
for the ultimate data center situated somewhere in Antarctica.
More
details here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/8850575/Facebook-to-build-server-farm-on-edge-of-Arctic-Circle.html
3).
Outer space servers might be the most SF idea, still PC was something
unthinkable only some 40 years ago… Server-Satellites have advantages and also
disadvantages. On one hand they should have more than enough solar power, being
much closer to the Sun… On the other hand, it’s quite tricky to upgrade and
service them, maybe Neil Armstrong could have done the job successfully,
unfortunately he’s now dead… So much for the maintenance team…
Anyway,
more details one can found here: http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20091123/0010157045.shtml
The
other day we learnt about Facebookistan. Googland and Facebookistan may very
well have armies long before applying to UN… Who knows?!?
1 comment:
Good stuff, Alex. Thanks, and hello from Social Medialand
Post a Comment