Do you live near a data center that makes a noise loud enough to bother you in your home?

[drhyde@fosstodon.org]

@LeafyEricScott @mlanger I see you've never had to put up with football fans being violent yobs that piss on nearby residents front doors

[mlanger@mastodon.world]

@tomsart This was very informative. I'm trying to find out whether the recently built data center, which is supposedly not done yet, has begun testing any equipment over the past two days. My current theory is that I'm hearing something at a very low frequency, below 20 Hz. A Wikipedia article says that some people can hear down to around 12 Hz. This would correspond to some of the information in the video; basically, I suspect I'm hearing machine noise that the average person doesn't hear.

[lunarloony@dosgame.club]

@DrHyde @LeafyEricScott @mlanger And you've never had to experience living in a city which regularly reaches 40°C in the dry season, and in which a gigantic new datacentre has been built which will undoubtedly throw even more heat out - not to mention guzzle up all the water that people need to drink.

But yeah, football fans eh.

[mlanger@mastodon.world]

@DrHyde What makes you think I'm talking about data center fans? Also, do football fans annoy you 24/7/365?

[mlanger@mastodon.world]

@piggo I sure hope it's temporary, but I've been hearing it all day. The only time I didn't hear it was when I went on a walk this morning with my neighbor and I got beyond a neighbors house, below a hill. That's telling me that the sound has a source and its directional.

[mlanger@mastodon.world]

@KayseeColorado Oh, I know exactly where they are. Microsoft just built a big one about a mile east of me. I can't see it from my home, mostly because there's a ridge between it and where I live. At night, I can see the glow over the ridge.The data center isn't 100% complete yet, but I'm wondering if they've started testing equipment and that's what I'm hearing. We have quite a few in my area including a bunch across the river, about 3 miles away. They've been around longer, though.

[mlanger@mastodon.world]

@KayseeColorado Oddly, the data center I'm concerned about, which has been under construction for the past two years, isn't even listed on this map. Neither are the numerous data centers across the river in East Wenatchee. I have to wonder how accurate the information is. I did fill out the form to add the state of center and my current concern. Thanks for the link.

[kayseecolorado@universeodon.com]

@mlanger

Years back I had a favorite camping spot. One year I had this weird hum- vibration thing that only I heard. Turns out an gas company put in a drilling rig over the next ridge. I had to stop going to that place, it left me feeling exhausted and stressed out. Seems the older I get the more sensitive to sound I get, or there's just a whole lot more un-natural sounds out there. Its depressing.

[debzo@mstdn.social]

@mlanger ‘A prison in our own yard’: Life next to a data center — and its never-ending noise https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2026/06/a-prison-in-our-own-yard-life-next-to-a-data-center-and-its-never-ending-noise.html

[leafyericscott@hachyderm.io]

@lunarloony @DrHyde @mlanger not to mention the air and noise pollution

[n_dimension@infosec.exchange]

@mlanger

Mastodon servers are not housed in #datacentres

They roam free range in the electric fields, feeding off ball lightning and scattered static. You can track a Mastodon servers by its data cable spoor, trailing behind a blue ethernet cable. Though some larger #mastodon servers trail a red fiberoptic spoor.
A more elusive Mastodon server uses a satellite dish. Those are harder to track. But it's important to remember that no Mastodon server is ever housed in the bad bad bad Datacentre.

[elfin@mstdn.social]

@mlanger I really do not get this.

By 2005 I had worked in EVERY Data Center from Oakland to San Jose, and many across the Midwest and Colorado ... and NONE of them made noise. What's changed?

[sternecker@infosec.exchange]

@mlanger live next to a data center but it isn't a megalopolis commercial version. Not loud, but security lights are on 24/7, lights confuse the local birds.
Highway is louder.

[nicole@queer.group]

@mlanger is this turtle island specific or a world wide request? (asking for everyone else)

[sternecker@infosec.exchange]

@mlanger I post under "real name" so my address is easy to find.

[7sleepersmusic@mastodon.social]

@mlanger ICYMI https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/us/data-centers-noise-pollution.html?unlocked_article_code=1.q1A.hVza.S8spDl4PIhtX

[danlyke@researchbuzz.masto.host]

@elfin local power generation. Gas turbines are loud.

[dec23k@mastodon.ie]

@mlanger @tomsart
At that frequency range, you'll be feeling it more than hearing it. And it will be doing harm if the amplitude is high enough.

[sabik@rants.au]

@danlyke @elfin
Which leaves the question why they're building gas turbine power generation in 2026 as an exercise for the reader

[elfin@mstdn.social]

@danlyke Ah. Well. That's dumb. Make them pay over market rate. Instead of giving them tax breaks, make the upgrade existing power plants.

Bet that solves A Lot of problems.