Want to build a UK datacenter? Please hold while Whitehall transfers you
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What's this about?
Minister insists responsibilities are clear as construction, telecoms, and energy fall under separate departments
The one-panel cartoon
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A sparsely furnished government office with a single phone operator sitting at a desk, surrounded by stacks of paperwork and a large clock ticking loudly on the wall.
Caption: Please hold while Whitehall decides which clock to check
Read the full 3-panel strip
Based on the original story on theregister.com.
Editor's note
As the UK contemplates the critical infrastructure needed for a robust datacenter industry, the bureaucratic maze of disconnected departments highlights a significant gap in seamless governance. Each division's narrow focus on its own domain overlooks the holistic user experience that effective datacenter construction requires, underscoring the need for a more integrated approach to technological progress.
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Panel 1
(a) What the subject is: The story is about bureaucratic inefficiency and departmental silos in the UK government, specifically regarding the construction of a datacenter which involves multiple departments like construction, telecoms, and energy. (b) The real irony or absurdity: Despite the importance of building a datacenter, the government's disjointed approach means that the responsibility is scattered across various departments, leading to inefficiency and delays. (c) The single funniest observation: The highlight is the absurdity of a caller being put on hold indefinitely as the government tries to figure out which department should handle the request. ---
Panel 2
*Setting: A modern office with a large desk, multiple screens, and a phone ringing. A visibly frustrated man in a suit is on the phone, tapping his foot impatiently.*
Man on Phone: Hello, I'd like to speak with the department responsible for datacenter construction.
Panel 3
*Setting: The man is still on the phone, but now the phone is held far from his ear as if he's lost patience. He looks at a wall clock, visibly annoyed.*
Man on Phone: Yes, I understand the responsibilities are clear... but which department actually knows what 'datacenter' means?
Panel 4
*Setting: The man hangs up the phone and slams it down. He looks at the phone, then at a wall where a diagram of departmental silos is pinned up, showing multiple departments with arrows pointing in different directions.*
Man: Please hold while Whitehall transfers me... to the Department of Infinite Redirection.
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