Google Reportedly Building More Floating Structures Outside Bay Area
sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com
sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com
Not unheard of.
As someone who has worked for smartphone OEMs, it is entirely possible a reduced return rate would be worth having extensive pickup experience options like this. Return rate was a huge consideration. If you have a high return rate, carriers won't even carry your device in their stores. Similarly, Samsung is having a big issue with Galaxy Gear watch returns right now.
Then again, maybe it's part of the marketing effort? I could see them building a "mock" data center or something like that -- "Step into a Google data center and learn how we'll be powering Glass for the whole world"...
Would floating data centers allow them to avoid laws by operating out of international waters?
At sea you are always subject to the laws of the countries flag you are flying, and sometimes the laws of the port you are arriving at or departing from. If you upset a specific country, you are dependent on their respect for your flagged country to not board and seize your vessel. The US Coast Guard for example claims the right to board anything in the Pacific or Atlantic if they suspect it of being used in the commission of a crime. Good luck getting Panama or The Marshall Islands to come defend you.
In Google's case they would also be subject to laws wherever the fiber or satellite connection they are using makes landfall.
Somehow I doubt this is to employ people. If it is though, then its very Deus Ex Machina in some ways (the video game, specifically the last dlc).
The Onion is about absurdist humor. Absurdism makes some sense as political satire, but it's also anti-progress satire.
The inability to differentiate the absurd from reality is just as likely to be due to the fact that we've achieved something previously thought, and still popularly held, to be absurd.
"What's next? You'll let women vote?"
"Power plants may be located in any area where they do not interfere with and are not incompatible with residential, recreational, or other public uses of the Bay and shoreline, provided that any pollution problems resulting from the discharge of large amounts of heated brine into Bay waters, and water vapor into the atmosphere, can be precluded."
You point is a valid, and I don't defend the BCNC, just note that they try to regulate everything.
Light can travel 300km in a millisecond. Being closer to users doesn't seem to outweigh the extra difficulties in plumbing, power connections, network connections, risk of sinking and stormy weather. The potential for mobility doesn't seem that useful either when you need a port with exceptional power and network connectivity.
My guess is that these are not permanent structures. Barges are not particularly suited to harsh open ocean conditions, and as others mentioned, there are some pretty heavy regulations against 'building out' into the bay. The secrecy of it hints at a marketing ploy.
If we're speculating, why not shoot for the moon? :D
The EPA shut that down right quick because even a degree temperature change has dramatic effects on the wildlife population.
Then again, I'm not sure what the mobility advantages of a datacenter are... maybe they're going to park it halfway between London and NY and load it up with high frequency trading bots?
That's a little fantastical though. Any more mundane reasons you might want mobile datacenters?
[Edit: Also plausibly used for some sort of Hunger-Games style interview process]
"We shouldn't use the Bay as a lost opportunity for that which can be done on land. We need to ensure that whatever this permit is applied for actually fits into what the Bay should be used for."
Your quote doesn't support that at all.
My interpretation is it's about environmental concerns. There's a long history of people expanding the city of San Francisco into the bay via fill, structures, even ships. Eventually there was a backlash, and most of that behavior is now banned by laws, requirements for environmental impact reports, etc. I would expect attempts by Google to get around, or just ignore, such laws would provoke a strong negative reaction by the local government.
Mostly by people with beachfront property who didn't want anyone getting in the way of their expensive view.