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You could trivially detect a loop by examining noise.

You could trivially defeat that by injecting noise.

You could less trivially defeat that by looking for "random" behavior in the datacenter, such as people walking by, vibrations caused by folks moving about, blinking patterns of the ubiquitous network activity LEDs in your rack and other racks, etc.

I think a loop is trivial to detect.

Have your own server's LEDs blink in pseudo-random sequence; have a script monitor the video feed, alerting if the sequence of LEDs doesn't match what is expected

This is the culmination of a very nice subthread. While there is certainly a huge need for a systemic fix, the subthread shows how technology can help us fight the problem on a temporary case-by-case basis. Brilliant!

Also, our names are on lists now.

[I despise the fact that I am making a joke like this, and that it's probably true. I'm writing my folks in congress again.]

Meh. Pay an intern to drop a copy of today's newspaper in front of the camera every morning.

Mount a watch/calendar on the wall.

Not if there was a clock in the frame with accurate date and time.