Bahnhof ISP
September 20, 2010 4:46 PM Subscribe
Located in a nuclear bomb shelter which was built during cold war under 30 meters of rock mountain, Bahnhof ISP is host to the Wikileaks servers.
The first link is best viewed in full screen mode.
Bahnhof sabotages Sweden's file sharing law.
The first link is best viewed in full screen mode.
Bahnhof sabotages Sweden's file sharing law.
"Hey, look at us! We're exploiting a loophole, suckers!"
Later...
*legislators remove loophole*
"Aw, what'd you have to go and do that for?"
posted by Sys Rq at 4:52 PM on September 20, 2010
Later...
*legislators remove loophole*
"Aw, what'd you have to go and do that for?"
posted by Sys Rq at 4:52 PM on September 20, 2010
If you're trying to avoid being smeared as a force of evil, your headquarters probably shouldn't resemble an evil underground lair.
posted by charred husk at 4:54 PM on September 20, 2010 [7 favorites]
posted by charred husk at 4:54 PM on September 20, 2010 [7 favorites]
If you're trying to avoid being smeared as a force of evil, your headquarters probably shouldn't resemble an evil underground lair.
Considering how many similar lairs the US government has built, I think that's pretty funny advice.
posted by hermitosis at 4:56 PM on September 20, 2010 [9 favorites]
Considering how many similar lairs the US government has built, I think that's pretty funny advice.
posted by hermitosis at 4:56 PM on September 20, 2010 [9 favorites]
Yeah, Wikileaks gets more fictionally evil every day. I kind of approve. Creepy silver-haired leader, underground mountain lair . . .
posted by Countess Elena at 4:58 PM on September 20, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by Countess Elena at 4:58 PM on September 20, 2010 [4 favorites]
Mm, very Cryptonomicon. I approve.
posted by limeonaire at 4:59 PM on September 20, 2010 [7 favorites]
posted by limeonaire at 4:59 PM on September 20, 2010 [7 favorites]
Danger: Diabolik
posted by ecurtz at 5:03 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ecurtz at 5:03 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Yeah, the idea is straight out of the Cryptonomicon. It's the best thing to do, in case the US decides to initiate an 'accidental' nuclear strike against your clubhouse.
posted by kaibutsu at 5:04 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by kaibutsu at 5:04 PM on September 20, 2010
Danger: Diabolik
DEEP DEEP DOWN
NAH NAH NAAAH NAH NAH NAH
posted by The Whelk at 5:08 PM on September 20, 2010
I was kind of disappointed not to see a bunch of biometric scanners and keypads on the doors, but apart from that it was pretty cool.
posted by carter at 5:12 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by carter at 5:12 PM on September 20, 2010
I dunno, it's gotta be hard to cool all those servers way underground like that. Seems like a good way to get cooked when the AC dies.
posted by GuyZero at 5:15 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by GuyZero at 5:15 PM on September 20, 2010
Are you sure this isn't just part of Portal 2?
I'm sure we can put our differences behind us.
For science.
posted by The Whelk at 5:17 PM on September 20, 2010
I'm sure we can put our differences behind us.
For science.
posted by The Whelk at 5:17 PM on September 20, 2010
It's awesome that the marijuana plants are just right out there in the open like that.
You made me look, dammit.
I just have one question about the "nuclear blast proof" bit. I think I saw in the video there was a spot where they drilled a vertical chimney about a meter in diameter, with the primary data conduits run up to the surface. A nuclear blast is going to exert such extreme pressure it is going to find any possible opening, even a meter in diameter, and penetrate it with significant force.
I'm not sure how this was handled in its previous use as a command and control bunker. You would probably only need a couple of wires for radio communications.
posted by charlie don't surf at 5:32 PM on September 20, 2010
You made me look, dammit.
I just have one question about the "nuclear blast proof" bit. I think I saw in the video there was a spot where they drilled a vertical chimney about a meter in diameter, with the primary data conduits run up to the surface. A nuclear blast is going to exert such extreme pressure it is going to find any possible opening, even a meter in diameter, and penetrate it with significant force.
I'm not sure how this was handled in its previous use as a command and control bunker. You would probably only need a couple of wires for radio communications.
posted by charlie don't surf at 5:32 PM on September 20, 2010
So, am I seeing two fuck-off V12 engines sitting there? Emergency power generation? Or is the whole mountain capable of driving away if necessary?
posted by Jimbob at 5:32 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by Jimbob at 5:32 PM on September 20, 2010
Jimbob, watch the video. Those are German submarine engines.
posted by charlie don't surf at 5:34 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by charlie don't surf at 5:34 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Great post.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:42 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:42 PM on September 20, 2010
This makes me think of the troubles I had getting a cabling contractor to drill through a brick wall to put an ethernet cable through it.
posted by charlie don't surf at 5:47 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by charlie don't surf at 5:47 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm pretty sure I've been in there before...yeah...but there were more headcrabs running around when i visited.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 5:48 PM on September 20, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Salvor Hardin at 5:48 PM on September 20, 2010 [2 favorites]
Wow. That's way more movie-set-like that I was expecting. Feels like Moonbase Alpha from Space: 1999.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 6:09 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 6:09 PM on September 20, 2010
I remember seeing an article about this place a couple of years ago - I saved it to my delicious bookmarks with a JAMESBOND tag on it. Having that place play host to Wikileaks' servers is just delightfully appropriate.
posted by titus n. owl at 6:16 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by titus n. owl at 6:16 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you're trying to avoid being smeared as a force of evil, your headquarters probably shouldn't resemble an evil underground lair.
Considering how many similar lairs the US government has built, I think that's pretty funny advice.
Considering how many people percieve the US Government as a force of evil, I think its pretty good advice.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 6:22 PM on September 20, 2010
Considering how many similar lairs the US government has built, I think that's pretty funny advice.
Considering how many people percieve the US Government as a force of evil, I think its pretty good advice.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 6:22 PM on September 20, 2010
you should see my root cellar
posted by clavdivs at 6:26 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by clavdivs at 6:26 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Are you sure this isn't just part of Portal 2?
The transparency is a lie!
posted by hippybear at 6:26 PM on September 20, 2010
The transparency is a lie!
posted by hippybear at 6:26 PM on September 20, 2010
These days, 30 meters depth isn't nearly far enough underground to be survivable enough to really need to care about a 1 meter wide tunnel to the surface, presuming any sort of protection at all. This is the sort of bunker that would have been useful in the 60s, back when the plan called for big airburst bombs to destroy an entire city because the accuracy of the delivery systems was so much lower than it is today.
Supposedly, the US has conventional bombs capable of 100 feet of earth (or 10-30 feet of reinforced concrete). No need of nukes to destroy a shallow bunker like this, although if one wanted to be really sure, a nuclear warhead could be used instead of a conventional load.
posted by wierdo at 6:31 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Supposedly, the US has conventional bombs capable of 100 feet of earth (or 10-30 feet of reinforced concrete). No need of nukes to destroy a shallow bunker like this, although if one wanted to be really sure, a nuclear warhead could be used instead of a conventional load.
posted by wierdo at 6:31 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you pan around quick enough you can see the giant penny and dinosaur.
posted by The Whelk at 7:07 PM on September 20, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 7:07 PM on September 20, 2010 [3 favorites]
I understand this cost one meeeeelion dollars to build.
posted by maxwelton at 7:10 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by maxwelton at 7:10 PM on September 20, 2010
Jimbob: So, am I seeing two fuck-off V12 engines sitting there? Emergency power generation? Or is the whole mountain capable of driving away if necessary?
Those big boys Jimbob, are German submarine engines. The mountain submerges into the ocean and turns into a gigantic u-boat.
posted by Skygazer at 7:20 PM on September 20, 2010
Those big boys Jimbob, are German submarine engines. The mountain submerges into the ocean and turns into a gigantic u-boat.
posted by Skygazer at 7:20 PM on September 20, 2010
I sincerely hope that all the employees have to wear matching jumpsuits.
posted by Ickster at 7:50 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by Ickster at 7:50 PM on September 20, 2010
Cripes, they could have achieved the same level of protection just by installing those things under my ass. *loosens belt, again*
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 8:50 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 8:50 PM on September 20, 2010
I tried looking at in full-screen mode but I was eaten by a grue.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 9:17 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 9:17 PM on September 20, 2010
Wow, posting from inside a grue. That may be a MeFi first!
posted by wierdo at 10:53 PM on September 20, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by wierdo at 10:53 PM on September 20, 2010 [4 favorites]
It's a little-known loophole that conventional laws don't apply if you're 20 meters or more above the ground or 20 meters or more below. This explains the little-talked-about trend in the 1920s through the 1950s of strip clubs and other sexy establishments operating either above the ground in so-called "sex blimps," or below the ground in "sex holes." Tragically, these unregulated clubs were the site of many disasters; patrons falling from the rickety walkways between sex blimps and buildings, or dying in large numbers in poorly constructed sex holes, which would frequently flood with raw sewage.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 11:52 PM on September 20, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 11:52 PM on September 20, 2010 [6 favorites]
wierdo: "Supposedly, the US has conventional bombs capable of 100 feet of earth (or 10-30 feet of reinforced concrete)."
Um, yeah, but this is under 30 metres of solid rock, not earth.
posted by brokkr at 1:03 AM on September 21, 2010
Um, yeah, but this is under 30 metres of solid rock, not earth.
posted by brokkr at 1:03 AM on September 21, 2010
This is really neat, but all for show, right? They can bury the servers as deep as they want, but they still have cables coming up to the ground somewhere. How much security does this bunker really provide?
posted by orme at 5:23 AM on September 21, 2010
posted by orme at 5:23 AM on September 21, 2010
Maybe the security is of the assured destruction type? Sort of like encryption, where losing the data is a better result than "the enemy" getting access to it? The underground lair just gives the ISP time to set fire to the sensitive servers before the Swedish 007, Jakob Bønd, gets through the tunnel?
posted by gjc at 6:34 AM on September 21, 2010
posted by gjc at 6:34 AM on September 21, 2010
Bahnhof ISP in Stockholm is hosting Wikileaks servers.
Spectacular server hall is located in nuclear bomb shelter
built during cold war under 30 meters of rock mountain.
Whoa. I wonder if they know something.
posted by nickyskye at 8:44 AM on September 21, 2010
Spectacular server hall is located in nuclear bomb shelter
built during cold war under 30 meters of rock mountain.
Whoa. I wonder if they know something.
posted by nickyskye at 8:44 AM on September 21, 2010
Wikileaks Prepares Next Big Document Dump, While Media and Pentagon Continue Smear Campaign on Its Founder
posted by homunculus at 9:36 AM on September 21, 2010
posted by homunculus at 9:36 AM on September 21, 2010
MPAA Wants To Know If ACTA Can Be Used To Block Wikileaks
posted by homunculus at 9:47 AM on September 22, 2010
posted by homunculus at 9:47 AM on September 22, 2010
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