Hahhhhahahahah Double hahahahah from AI.
— Teresa Martin, columnist
Tech Eyes, August 2026: Data Center Myth Redux
True 20 years ago, still true today. Top 10 data center myths...
Click on graphic above to listen to the column.
August 2026 – I think the concept of data centers as economic drivers has always been a myth.
Right now everyone in America seems primed and ready to hate on data centers … but not so long ago they and their close cousin the call center were boosted as the solution to rural economic woes.
For a while Cape Cod played the game, claiming to be the “silicon sandbar” and offering up land and incentive to lure a call/data center.
Why the data center?
I never quite knew why these centers landed on a pedestal, except that every community seemed to dream of becoming the next “Silicon Valley.” And in some weird warped way, acquiring these centers seemed part of the path.
Except, of course, The Valley was a unique moment in time where academics, existing think tanks, transitioning agricultural land, cheap buildings, and the proximity of engineering-inclined dreamers combined with the branded California dream to rub against each other and create a spark.
What happened to the valley?
For a while, it was an almost magical place where people wanted to know what you were building and what you were doing next, not where you came from. Everything seemed possible. Imagination and invention breathed.
It was fun. It was freeing. I know because i was there.
It was also short-lived. Once money arrived things changed quickly. Bro culture dominated, VCs be-kinged themselves, and the era ended … but somehow in the lands beyond the valley, the data center carried the torch.
You could be an enlightened, modern community bringing jobs and 21st century opportunity if only you could attract a call center/data center.
Was the myth true?
If you disagreed with this dream, a virtual tomato probably landed on your face, lobbed by someone who thought you were a luddite. In reality, you were probably more of a realist.
So without further ado, I’m going to replay my old top 10 list (with a nod to David Letterman whose top 10 was equally trendy then) why data centers don’t fan economic fires. Enjoy it for both retro and current appeal.
Top 10 Reasons the data center dream is a myth
Number 10. Land destroying. Raze landscape for parking lots and concrete.
Number 9. Ugly boxes. Trees and meadows become hideous square cheap architecture destined for a tear down future.
Number 8. Power pigs. Those machines need lots of juice to run and even more to stay cool. Google didn’t invest in solar because it cared about a sustainable future. It did because its data centers gobble power and it needed to manage both cost and production.
Number 7. Soul sucking. A big box with cubicles does not create happy workers.
Number 6. Place holding. The companies that require call and data center jobs want the work to happen as cheaply as possible and aren’t there for the long term.
Number 5. Career sapping. The vast majority of jobs in these building were only going to be just that – jobs. Not career paths.
Number 4. Benefit snatching. Because they wear an economic development mantle, they snatch as many tax credits and local incentive funds as possible. Guess who doesn’t win.
Number 3. Salary sad. Did I mention the companies behind these want to cut costs as much as possible? Can you say minimum wage as soon as no one is looking?
Number 2. Tail wags dog. How ever did anyone manage to pitch the idea that a data center will lead engineering, development, and high tech manufacturing on in … Do you know a single EE or MBA who would say “hey, there’s a call/data center there, wow sexy stuff. I wanna be there too”? Uhm, no.
Number 1. Humans matter. Hahahahahha. And double hahahahahah from the land of AI
Do data/call centers have a role?
All that said , there are real reasons companies need a giant box to contain computers and telecomm connections – but just don’t let them fool you. The benefit lies in their bottom line, not your back yard.
And that’s as true 20 years ago as it is today. Maybe it’s time for a thoughtful and grounded conversation about what next gen infrastructure really needs to looks like.
