# A peek inside the SDMB server room **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 8, 2008, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574 "2008-03-08T07:12:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/21 "2008-03-08T16:11:27Z")
The latest [server room](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/142/327589257_602118cbae.jpg) is quite an improvement overr the [old one](http://www.freewebs.com/whusalumni/Studio1955.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/22 "2008-03-08T16:15:58Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] Our undercover agent has smuggled out a picture of the top secret SDMB [server.](http://images.thinkgeek.com/products/other/looflirpa/zoom/habicase.jpg) [/QUOTE] Ted Stevens was right! The internet IS tubes. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/23 "2008-03-08T17:30:47Z")
[QUOTE=cards] Actually, I think the top left picture is Jerrry: [http://www.sysadminday.com/horrors.html](http://www.sysadminday.com/horrors.html) [/QUOTE] No, it’s third down on the left. Note the caption — would a mod lie to us? [My submission](http://www.columbia.edu/acis/history/402-519.jpg).\* Another round of congratulations for Jerry. Given his customer base (including me), I wouldn’t have his job for all the tea in China. \*I actually learned to “program” a later version of the machine on the left early in my training. It was done by using jumpers between holes in a punch board, and IIRC it took about a half hour to set it up to do a simple addition. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/24 "2008-03-08T18:07:03Z")
No, [this](http://seniordesign.engr.uidaho.edu/2004_2005/mekelektroniks/Project%20Pictures/Breadboard%20Test%20Circuits.jpg) is it, but we are getting the super-deluxe upgrade – any day now. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/25 "2008-03-08T18:17:02Z")
Say what you will, ANYTHING is better than the [1999’s style server](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Toppledominos.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/26 "2008-03-08T18:28:02Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] I think it’s more of a [Mickey Mouse](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5612776/) setup. [/QUOTE] That’s the research desk. It’s on a different floor from the server room. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/27 "2008-03-08T18:30:31Z")
[QUOTE=Dolores Reborn] I think it’s this [one.](http://blog.lib.umn.edu/lecy0013/architecture/old-computer.jpg) Check out the steering wheel! [/QUOTE] That’s a gaming machine. Need For Speed ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/28 "2008-03-08T18:34:37Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] That’s a gaming machine. Need For Speed [/QUOTE] Actually isn’t that the machine for Need for Speed 2, since it has 2 steering wheels? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/29 "2008-03-08T18:37:03Z")
Actually, the SDMB has four or five of [these](http://www.otherpower.com/hamster.html) working in tandem. Scroll down to see all the workings. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/30 "2008-03-08T19:57:32Z")
[QUOTE=5-4-Fighting] No, [this](http://seniordesign.engr.uidaho.edu/2004_2005/mekelektroniks/Project%20Pictures/Breadboard%20Test%20Circuits.jpg) is it, but we are getting the super-deluxe upgrade – any day now. [/QUOTE] We would have it by now, but they wouldn’t let [our crack research team](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=448415) work on it during the flight. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/31 "2008-03-08T22:07:41Z")
If you’d followed Morpheus’s advice and taken the Red Pill, you’d know it’s more like this: [http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/images/matrix02.jpg](http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/images/matrix02.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/32 "2008-03-08T23:41:05Z")
No, no, no. Doesn’t anyone remember that we have upgraded to [capybaras](http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h207/mnems/SDMBserver.jpg) ? My first photoshop (Gimp, actually) EVER! ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/33 "2008-03-08T23:48:59Z")
Photoshop tennis anyone? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2008, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/34 "2008-03-09T02:57:24Z")
I hope I never get a Remote Hands ticket to work on any of the servers in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2008, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/35 "2008-03-09T03:13:29Z")
Chicken? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/36 "2008-03-09T03:29:42Z")
I think [Jerry](http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/11/60/23286011.jpg) is a handsome guy. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2008, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/37 "2008-03-09T03:48:50Z")
I heard it was [This](http://users.bigpond.net.au/dax/cube_FC.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2008, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/38 "2008-03-09T04:03:13Z")
[QUOTE=Dolores Reborn] I think it’s this [one.](http://blog.lib.umn.edu/lecy0013/architecture/old-computer.jpg) Check out the steering wheel! [/QUOTE] well, at least they got the part about FORTRAN right! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2008, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/39 "2008-03-09T04:06:03Z")
[QUOTE=rbroome] well, at least they got the part about FORTRAN right! [/QUOTE] The steering wheels must be a primitive version of a mouse. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2008, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574/40 "2008-03-09T04:08:30Z")
[QUOTE=kunilou] I think [Jerry](http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/11/60/23286011.jpg) is a handsome guy. [/QUOTE] Wrong – [this is Jerry.](http://flashgordon.ws/images/ming3.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-peek-inside-the-sdmb-server-room/440574.md?page=3)