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Trying to access a page that doesn't exist on this site returns a colorful 404 page. For example, try to access the question number \$\sqrt{-1}\$ and you get the 404 page with the image below.

I'd really like to know the origin of this image. Is this a computer interconnect architecture? A notable or historic effort?

I'm not asking for pure speculation. A google image search shows this image is used in several places for effect (e.g. slide 14 "The Yellow Wall"), but I haven't been able to track down the original source or a discussion of what is being shown.

enter image description here

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I've asked a related but different question on the main site here first but it's been put on hold fairly quickly. Here I'm only asking for the origin of the image that the site has chosen to use on its 404 page. \$\endgroup\$
    – uhoh
    Commented Feb 24, 2019 at 5:29
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    \$\begingroup\$ a page from 2008 bbxdesign.com/2008/10/17/trucs-sympas-du-web-part-05 (tin eye helped) said page cites 3 sources, but links are dead \$\endgroup\$
    – Jasen Слава Україні
    Commented Feb 24, 2019 at 6:15
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Jasen, thanks, I've just found it in Reddit: "I took these photos along with the original yellow wall in 2000. This was in the Lehman Brothers data center in 3 World Financial Center. In addition to the CAT5 cabling there was so much coax under the floor that the tiles would not lay flat." No idea if this is correct or not, but it is plausible. \$\endgroup\$
    – uhoh
    Commented Feb 24, 2019 at 6:27
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    \$\begingroup\$ well that explains the spool of black cable: must be spare co-ax! \$\endgroup\$
    – Jasen Слава Україні
    Commented Feb 24, 2019 at 7:51
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    \$\begingroup\$ Related (doesn't really answer this question though): 404/Error/Captcha Images \$\endgroup\$
    – Andrew T.
    Commented Feb 24, 2019 at 17:22
  • \$\begingroup\$ @uhoh That's probably the right answer, you should post it. I actually made an answer saying exactly this, but then later saw your comment. \$\endgroup\$
    – dim
    Commented Feb 25, 2019 at 15:01
  • \$\begingroup\$ @dim oh please go ahead and regenerate it if you like. I'll check back later, if there's still no answer, I'll do so. Thanks! \$\endgroup\$
    – uhoh
    Commented Feb 25, 2019 at 15:16
  • \$\begingroup\$ @uhoh Done. I could find another source too. \$\endgroup\$
    – dim
    Commented Feb 25, 2019 at 15:27
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    \$\begingroup\$ I remember when I first joined this website, I used to think the Yellow Wall was a giant haystack... But then I saw it more and more often and I was like, "Wait a minute... These are Ethernet chords!" \$\endgroup\$
    – user103380
    Commented Feb 25, 2019 at 20:10
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    \$\begingroup\$ If you buy all jumper cables of the same color it will be cheaper they said... I am now a bit more inclined to think that 9/11 was an inside job, i wonder if they investigated the Lehman Brother's IT personnel. \$\endgroup\$
    – Edgar Brown
    Commented Feb 26, 2019 at 16:15
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    \$\begingroup\$ It's clearly a server hall dedicated to run spaghetti programming programs. \$\endgroup\$
    – Lundin
    Commented Mar 4, 2019 at 14:43
  • \$\begingroup\$ They could only buy one color? Who thought that one up? \$\endgroup\$
    – Voltage Spike Mod
    Commented Mar 4, 2019 at 21:39

1 Answer 1

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There is more info in this reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/cablefail/comments/1vdhky/the_great_yellow_wall_more_pics/

From "scattyboy":

I took these photos along with the original yellow wall in 2000. This was in the Lehman Brothers data center in 3 World Financial Center. In addition to the CAT5 cabling there was so much coax under the floor that the tiles would not lay flat.

This seems confirmed by some other source: https://royal.pingdom.com/the-worst-cable-mess-ever/

User "Bob johnson" says

This picture is of Lehman Brothers World Financial Center 3 data center. Pre 9/11 it was the primary Data center, post 9/11 this site was breached by the dust and written off completely. Which was a good thing since there was no other way to fix that mess. Days were lost just trying to trace a single connection. There is a smaller gray version of this wall one of the NJ data centers thats still in use.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thank you! Luckily my question didn't return a 404 as an answer ;-) \$\endgroup\$
    – uhoh
    Commented Feb 25, 2019 at 16:10

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