alt Hacker NewsThe problem these days is lack of nuance. It should seem entirely reasonable to be pro-datacenters-if-they're-done-right, but it feels like there are only two sides to any issue. Gas turbine whine noise isn't coming from the data center, it's being used to power the data center, but the camp is either pro data center or not, and fuck any nuance.
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__egb__ • yesterday at 11:36 AM
Maybe the lack of nuance is due to learning, through decades of experience, that the assumption “it won’t be done right” can be baked in.
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Forgeties79 • yesterday at 11:35 AM
Because the reality is while we all debate the nuances companies just do whatever they want, and it’s usually whatever offloads the most issues to the public because it saves them more money.
The problem is people keep trying to regulate businesses by name instead of by the effects they have.
If we had regulations on noise, vibration, emissions, water use, electromagnetic radiation, whatever else, then it wouldn’t matter what people tried to build — if it fits within the guidelines great, otherwise back to the drawing board.
Putting “data center” in your ordinances is as lazy and ineffective as putting “abattoir.”