The words we use obviously do a lot to shape the way we perceive people, and platforms, and the big tech companies have put considerable resources into choosing the right words for their portals in order to manage the way they are perceived....
Take “data centre campus” for example. At first glance, this feels almost scholarly, kind Like a university, with people collaborating and doing research.
But the third word is completely misleading.... what this three word phrase describes is basically an industrial data centre, the only humans present are probably security staff.
By borrowing words from education and civic life, tech companies soften the way people see these projects.
Rebranding Infrastructure as Innovation
Calling something a “campus” brings up images of learning, community, and open exchange. That’s powerful, especially because universities have earned a positive reputation over centuries.
But when tech firms slap the word “campus” on a data centre, it’s pretty misleading. These places don’t look or function anything like universities. They’re more like industrial sites—automated, humming with machines, built to house and run servers.
And there's also a political motive to this choice of words.... it makes data centres more palatable to our poticians as well as our consumers.
The Politics of Tech Language
Of course Tech companies have been playing with language for years to make themselves look good....
Another examples is the use of the term 'sharing-economy' - ride shares and the like.... which make tech companies sound like their facilitating grass-routes community initiatives, champions of the public good, but the profit skimming motive is always the main thing.
And tagging on the word campus to data centres is just the latest example of this!