Utah: home of the NSA’s new mega data center
ArsTechnica has a good overview of the $1.8 billion NSA facility being erected in Utah.
Jon Stokes, the author, correctly notes how government organizations are doing a disservice to tax payers for two reasons.
First, there is little empirical data to suggest that the NSA’s current data mining system has been effective at stopping terrorism whereas there is a lot of evidence that it violates individual privacy.
Second, in the age of cloud computing, the scramble for ideal data center locations is limited by a number of constraints (including uninterrupted power supply and environmental temperature). Because the NSA can use its deep taxpayer-funded pockets, it can outbid rivals such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon — companies that actually create utility for mankind — for prime locations.
Be sure to check out the comments of the story and see how these observations are greeted. Hint: he is unsurprisingly slimed.
oldish_crank
July 7th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Utah has been under data mining surveillance since the Brig first arrived. Mormons and the NSA are a perfect fit.
liberranter
July 7th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
First, there is little empirical data to suggest that the NSA’s current data mining system has been effective at stopping terrorism whereas there is a lot of evidence that it violates individual privacy.
I'm sure it's superfluous to remind readers of this blog that "stopping terrorism" is hardly the real point of all of this data mining by the State, but that violating individual privacy most certainly is.
Nathan Snail
July 7th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
This is purely driftnet spying on the population to build dossiers on every single american, and then use what is garnered to ‘blackmail’ or ‘intimidate’ everyone into compliance.
this has nothing to do with National Security, and it has EVERYTHING TO DO WITH DICTATORSHIP AND TYRANNY.
goddamned this government for what it has become. goddamned it! and goddamned the Mormon son’s and daughters of bitch’s for aiding and abetting this TYRANNY and LAWLESSNESS!
Hide Behind
July 9th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
So whats new. Utahs' NG unit has been a language interpretive center for ages, and after passage of Homeland Security and Patrito Act a major survelance center. One of the largest Concentration Camps built by KBR is located in state. Language site is a natural as BYU students take two year sabaticals in foreign lands, has one of highest numbers of language courses, and recieves hundreds of millions of Educational grants.Can't remember when Utahs' elected reps were not hawks and sitting upon Intel and Military commitees.