Google's data centers are guarded by stormtroopers

I believe that is Brute squad. Which probably makes it a reference to The Princess Bride ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v... )

lvh• 14 years ago

That, or Monty Python's Bruce sketch :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f_p0CgPeyA

rlt3• 14 years ago

My favorite is the Android figure with some ear protection on:

http://goo.gl/maps/EzEbs

timdorr• 14 years ago

There is also an employee making off with a ton of snacks: http://goo.gl/maps/MIE9g

scovetta2• 14 years ago

That reminds me of the recursive elevator sign: http://www.thescrabbled.com/posts/66891-The-Recursive-Escala...

thewordis• 14 years ago

The 'sharp edges' sign came from a Fark PhotoShop contest many years ago.

densh• 14 years ago

Guitar hero playground

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=35.898698,-81.5492...

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There are a bunch of scooters near that Android

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=35.898532,-81.5478...

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Some weird part of the car

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=35.898446,-81.5477...

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One more

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=35.898532,-81.5480...

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I guess you can even have a race using one of those

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=35.898576,-81.5483...

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Google is apparently concerned with people quitting [smoking]

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=35.898446,-81.5477...

jpwagner• 14 years ago

It's about quitting smoking...

estebank• 14 years ago

The last one is actually about quitting smoking.

(You can see references to No Tabaco Day)

archon• 14 years ago

"Vending machine raid"

http://goo.gl/maps/OljbS

mbreese• 14 years ago

Near the "Super Secret Strategic PUE Plan" computer there is a shredder with something left out of it [1]. I'm dying to figure out what it says. The paper is clearly a plant since a) the document wasn't fully shredded and b) the shredder isn't near a power outlet.

[1] http://goo.gl/maps/RQ6pu

arsey• 14 years ago

Looks like shipping barcodes to my untrained eye.

lucb1e• 14 years ago

The pranks emphasize how carefully Google narrated each shot on here. Earlier today on HN I saw a link to a Wired article about Google giving us an insight into their datacenter. Although somewhat true, the article is very superficial and hardly mentions any tech details, and the indoor street view very carefully avoids the interesting stuff.

Try going next to a server on the streetview, it'll skip right past where you clicked and only show you close-ups from empty racks or racks without servers. Also I can't see anything about their cooling systems, which you hear a lot about and would be interesting.

Also, don't mention how some things are blurred out, and how there is a huge curtain on one end of the streetview tour. I was honestly disappointed by how little Google told us, compared to the sensational title.

mvgoogler• 14 years ago

The are a lot more pictures on the "An Inside Look" page of the data-centers page.

Gallery: http://www.google.com/about/datacenters/gallery/#/all Web-Page: http://www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/

Blog post: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/googles-data-centers-...

MaggieL• 14 years ago

Notice that way down the hall past the stormtrooper is a sign that says "Pharmacy" Wot?

peterwwillis• 14 years ago

The Pharmacy is where they keep spare parts for servers

TheAmazingIdiot• 14 years ago

So.. guarded by people who die easily and can't shoot straight?

Someone! Call Con SOLO!! Obi's WAN Kenobi died suddenly!

dageshi• 14 years ago

Someone's going to make a FPS map based on these...

acuozzo• 14 years ago

I can only pray for an excellent Doom WAD file.

drudru11• 14 years ago

appropriate

scovetta2• 14 years ago

Found Android! https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=35.898541,-81.5479...

Bud• 14 years ago

Sorry, but I have to call bullshit on the headline. There is, in fact, only ONE Stormtrooper pictured. Not plural "Stormtroopers". ;)

Vader must have made budget cuts.

bostonpete• 14 years ago

Isn't he a little short for a storm trooper?

mtrimpe• 14 years ago

Did anybody else notice the RoombaMaster error thrown when you have a Flash debug build?

  TypeError: Error #1009: Cannot access a property or method of a null object reference.
    at cityblock.flash.flash10.feature.roomba.controls::ElevatorControl/handleNewConfig()
    at cityblock.flash.flash10.feature.roomba.controls::ElevatorControl()
    at cityblock.flash.flash10.feature.roomba::RoombaMaster()
    at cityblock.flash.flash10.feature.roomba::RoombaModule/constructRoombaMaster()
    at cityblock.flash.flash10.feature.roomba::RoombaStub/handleLoadComplete()

If that's an easter egg then they really went deep :)

sant0sk1• 14 years ago

There's also a small R2-D2 standing next to him. Zoom in if you can't see it.

Breakthrough• 14 years ago

While I'm not one to normally say this... That little R2D2 beside the Storm Trooper looks so cute! :)

ChuckMcM• 14 years ago

My favorite Google data center prank was the Oregon one. Next door to where they built it was a window factory, so a sign appeared on the data center fence which read "Voldemort's School of Defenestration"

pagebrooks• 14 years ago

About 25 employees waving outside of the Data Center: http://goo.gl/maps/cZfN9

laurencita12• 14 years ago

and cornhole in the background!

lockes5hadow• 14 years ago

That's good, if there's a firefight they won't hit anything.

iamdave• 14 years ago

But in the case of an air attack any exposed exhaust vents will require constant guarding.

bjorncanute• 14 years ago

I just realized you can use 'w,a,s,d' keys to move around the camera instead of the mouse.

JohnsonB• 14 years ago

This is cute and all but is essentially a reddit level posting.

burntsushi• 14 years ago

Same thing for the parent comment.

pippy• 14 years ago

Google looks like such a cool company to work for. I'm sad I'll never have the skill set to be hired by them.

aeontech• 14 years ago

Never say never... If you really want to make it, study a subject in depth, show your skills by working on some good projects, open source or not, and you have good chances.

Hilyin• 14 years ago

Scooters for gettin around datacenter! Awesome. http://goo.gl/maps/SiBpj

alainbryden• 14 years ago

No photographing the server room?

http://goo.gl/maps/1n7jW

biot• 14 years ago

  "If your account is less than a year old, please don't submit comments
   saying that HN is turning into Reddit. (It's a common semi-noob illusion.)"

pg, is it time to update the guidelines? Or at least ask that people read and follow them? This submission and its comments seem to indicate that the illusion is becoming reality. More specifically, there is already a story[0] on Google's datacenter in which one's intellectual curiosity can be gratified. This one is little more than a meme with Google's name on it.

[0] http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4663946

Google's data centers are guarded by stormtroopers

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