The issue surfaced at Harvard University recently after revelations that administrators searched 16 faculty email accounts last fall to find the source of leaks to the media about a prior cheating scandal.

Harvard sociology professor Mary C. Waters told The New York Times , "I think what the administration did was creepy," she reportedly said, adding, "this action violates the trust I once had that Harvard would never do such a thing."

There's something charmingly naive about Prof. Walters' indignation, given that computers are instruments of self-surveillance and that those with the power to search through other people's data have shown little willingness to deny themselves that capability.

There is one data center concern that overwhelms all others: the need for energy efficiency. At one time, energy costs were viewed as a given, compared to the expenses in hardware purchases and labor for operations. But as hardware became more efficient and automated procedures more prevalent, the cost of energy has steadily risen to capture 25% of total operating costs, and it now sits close to the top of the list. In addition, there is a clash building between environmentalists versus smartphone and tablet users and data center operators. As the evidence builds for global warming, the unbridled growth of computing in many forms is coming under attack as a wasteful contributor to global warming. Indeed, such an attack was the theme of a landmark New York Times story published Sept. 22, "The Cloud Factories: Power, Pollution and the Internet."]]> 1. Location Drives Energy Efficiency

There is one data center concern that overwhelms all others: the need for energy efficiency. At one time, energy costs were viewed as a given, compared to the expenses in hardware purchases and labor for operations. But as hardware became more efficient and automated procedures more prevalent, the cost of energy has steadily risen to capture 25% of total operating costs, and it now sits close to the top of the list. In addition, there is a clash building between environmentalists versus smartphone and tablet users and data center operators. As the evidence builds for global warming, the unbridled growth of computing in many forms is coming under attack as a wasteful contributor to global warming. Indeed, such an attack was the theme of a landmark New York Times story published Sept. 22, "The Cloud Factories: Power, Pollution and the Internet."]]> http://www.networkcomputing.com/quickview/5-data-center-trends-for-2013/2242?wc=4 http://www.networkcomputing.com/quickview/5-data-center-trends-for-2013/2242?wc=4 http://www.networkcomputing.com/quickview/data-center?wc=4 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:16 EST http://www.networkcomputing.com/storage-networking-management/emcs-storage-strategy/240145343 http://www.networkcomputing.com/storage-networking-management/emcs-storage-strategy/240145343 http://www.networkcomputing.com/storage-networking-management Thu, 27 Dec 2012 13:06 EST http://www.networkcomputing.com/storage-networking-management/hot-flash-researchers-use-heat-to-counte/240144107 http://www.networkcomputing.com/storage-networking-management/hot-flash-researchers-use-heat-to-counte/240144107 http://www.networkcomputing.com/storage-networking-management Mon, 10 Dec 2012 11:40 EST