[bogomipz]

>"In some cases, Amazon uses pseudonyms to obscure its presence. For example, at its IAD77 data center, the document states that “Amazon is known as ‘Vandalay Industries’ on badges and all correspondence with building manager”."

This made me laugh. Vandalay Industries is a reference to a very funny Seinfeld episode. Someone at AWS has a good sense of humor:

http://seinfeld.wikia.com/wiki/Vandelay_Industries

[blakesterz]

Seems like using ‘Vandalay Industries’ is a terrible idea. Doesn't everyone* know that anything called ‘Vandalay Industries’ is an obvious fake?

* Maybe anyone over a certain age? Do people under... I dunno, 40? 30?... watch much Seinfeld? Seems like TV shows are largely generational things... I'm aware of MASH and Dick Van Dyke, but I wouldn't get the semi obscure jokes from those shows since they were on when I was super young.

[SpicyLemonZest]

I'd guess the goal is more to keep this list from coming up in public records searches than to serve as a truly effective disguise. I can't imagine the datacenter employees are expected to lie to everyone about where they work.

[saalweachter]

Which reminds me of the article on HN a few months/years back about how you could identify most spies because they all appeared the same way in embassy listings (which was all public information).

With a lot of things like this, you're really squatting at a particular point in the effort-reward curve. You're not going to make something of this scale absolutely secret; there are hundreds of people involved, deliveries of material over years, and ongoing services. It's not like Amazon can bury the workers on site after they finish their work, like people always claim the pharaohs of old did but probably didn't.

But being a little secret might solve some problems, so if there are low-effort ways to make it a little secret, you go ahead and do those. You make a shell company, even if it has a stupid name. You don't tell contractors or delivery people who the real owner is. You don't drive up to the building in a car that says "AMAZON1" on the license plate.

It's not going to keep the place totally secret, but if it makes a few things easier - you get fewer break-ins, you have fewer troubles with the local planning boards, whatever - it's probably worth the tiny bit of effort.

(Also, did you know that Dick Van Dyke is still alive and active? He's in the new Mary Poppins.)

[blakesterz]

I didn't even know there was a new Mary Poppins!

[bogomipz]

>"Which reminds me of the article on HN a few months/years back about how you could identify most spies because they all appeared the same way in embassy listings (which was all public information)."

Might you have a link to this post?

[saalweachter]

"How to Spot a Spook": https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14335310

[cbg0]

> Seems like using ‘Vandalay Industries’ is a terrible idea.

I think it's more of a joke instead of a serious attempt at keeping the ownership hidden.

[bogomipz]

>"Seems like using ‘Vandalay Industries’ is a terrible idea."

It's obviously meant to be a joke.

>" Maybe anyone over a certain age? Do people under... I dunno, 40? 30?... watch much Seinfeld?"

Seinfeld is one of the most syndicated shows in television history and has been since the show ended. In some markets its on multiple times a day, it's also on Hulu. It's not really a generational thing.

[heyheyhey]

I'm 31 and pretty much all my friends near my age have watched Seinfeld as some point.

The ones who would get that "Vandalay" reference? Probably <5% of them.