University of Twente Back Online

UncleH writes "University of Twente is back online again, after the University NOC burned to ashes on wednesday. This also means that the much discussed University Campus network is also fully available again. The university already had internet access through a masquerading box in the network of their neighbours. Big hurrah for the network engineers of the University, large applause for the network engineers of SURFnet for restoring the 10Gbps Point of Presence within 36 hours after the fire."

Comments

wow

[tps12]

I'm surprised to see such outpouring of emotion over this event. The first story had hundreds of comments, and this one looks like it's headed the same way. Frankly, I'm saddened. Granted, fires are scary things, and shouldn't be taken lightly. But come on...no one died, and a single building of computers burnt down. Considering the violence and tragedy that occurs around the world every day, is the loss of a couple thousand dollars of (insured) plastic, metal and silicon really cause for such dramatics? I know this is "News for Nerds," but nerds are people too. Or so I thought. Sometimes I wonder if there's any humanity left on Slashdot...

Re:wow

[Idarubicin]

Considering the violence and tragedy that occurs around the world every day, is the loss of a couple thousand dollars of (insured) plastic, metal and silicon really cause for such dramatics?

If there was a fire in the Louvre, and nobody was hurt, there would be no cause for concern, now would there? If the Mona Lisa was turned to ashes, why should we care? It's a hundred bucks worth of canvas and oil paint. Might be worth a bit more if it has a nice frame. On the other hand, it's pretty old, so we would have to account for depreciation.

Physical objects can have emotional and cultural significance. Some good stuff has come out of the University of Twente. Many on Slashdot know (or are) good people who have been greatly inconvenienced by this event. No, it's not the Louvre, nor is it the Tower of London, nor the Parthenon, nor even the White House. (Incidentally, soldiers from Canada burned the original President's Mansion during the War of 1812.)

But we are nerds, and our monuments happen to have a slightly different flavour--more functional than ornamental (I do include the White House in this comparision.) Why shouldn't we have something to say about it? Besides, if you read the posts, many tongues remained firmly in cheek. Lots of smiles about hot pr0n, and reference to The Register's photo collection of the World's Worst Server Rooms.

Re:wow

[OneFix]

I think it's frame of reference. Everyone on here has likely seen a fire...most of us have networking/data center backgrounds (to some extent)...the issues are important for some of us...

But I'm actually surprised that you somehow think that sympathizing with one cause somehow means that we are unsympathetic with another...