Post #531377

2026-02-23 18:57 UTC

At what point do FOSS nerds end up starting non-profit data center co-ops that serve at-cost hosting to members? Does the capital outlay required to build a modern data center make that impossible?

Replies (2)

@PusherRobot@mas.to 2026-02-23 19:00

@Ardvaark@mastodon.world PAK CHOOIE HELLO CORN_BOY DATA-CENTERS-CANNOT-BE-BUILT-WITHOUT-SHOVED-FUNDS CAN-I-HAVE-THE-DATA-PUSHERS-DO-SOME-WORK? PAK CHOOIE UNF

Open ##2376436
@fedward@distraction.party 2026-02-23 19:22

@Ardvaark@mastodon.world depends on what "modern" means, I assume. I'd think you could just find a defunct or underutilized facility that already exists and migrate it by cabinet or row, but the primary issue with data centers is a coin with power on one side and cooling on the other. As hardware gets more dense you essentially outpace your ability to manage that coin, so you could end up with a data center that "looks" half full but has maxed out your ability to power and cool it. And even if you discount the cost of the building, if you have to buy new routers at that scale you need tons of cash.

Open ##2376437