Article

2005-12-21 Science & Technology

Computers and government agencies are really sad.

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Posted by 3dc 2005-12-21 00:58|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Why would anyone want a working system? That would eliminate countless consulting opportunities, programming contracts, maintainence contracts, etc. If the system worked, livelihoods of well-connected individuals would be threatened, and I think we can all agree that nobody wants that. A not-really-just-barely-functional system is in everyone's best interests.

Posted by gromky">gromky 2005-12-21 02:05|| http://communistposters.com/]">[http://communistposters.com/] 2005-12-21 02:05|| Front Page Top

#2 They could solve the whole shebang by hiring Fred for a princely sum, but he'd have to cut Rantburg loose. And we can't have that. I vote for the status quo.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2005-12-21 09:25|| 2005-12-21 09:25|| Front Page Top

#3 In the spirit of representative democracy and compromise, Seafarious, I vote for Enhanced Status Quo. Better computers, but not enough to cause starvation among the consultants.

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2005-12-21 09:32|| 2005-12-21 09:32|| Front Page Top

#4 I'd have .com take it over.

I'd be the anonymous commenter suggesting numnutz trolls kiss my big brown eye.

Posted by Fred 2005-12-21 09:38|| 2005-12-21 09:38|| Front Page Top

#5 LOL! Fred's joined the dark side! Welcome, Fred!

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-12-21 10:01|| 2005-12-21 10:01|| Front Page Top

#6 "What is needed is a set of requirements that really makes sense in the first place and an architecture that is capable of satisfying those requirements--a very serious software engineering discipline to ensure a system is not only going to meet those requirements but be evolvable over time"

Might work if you bought a working off-the-shelf program from someone who does it all the time rather than try to do it in house, but that'll never happen.
I remember waiting years for the AF to finish the long promised replacement for CAMS. Soon as the beta was sent to the field for final trials before going "Gold", the whole program was scrapped without any reason stated. Word was it was so bad, people were frantically trying to remove their fingerprints from the program to save their careers.

Posted by Steve">Steve 2005-12-21 12:39|| 2005-12-21 12:39|| Front Page Top

#7 I'd have .com take it over.

Humm..... Maybe Phil can start another what-if novel.

Posted by Buckminster Spemble1220 2005-12-21 14:35|| 2005-12-21 14:35|| Front Page Top

#8 Have a bud in the FBI. All during the Louis Freeh directorship, automation was very low priority. The man was a technophobe, first and last. You can see the consequences. Compare that to the Army's netting of operational units to the lowest level to see the impact upon command and control and intel sharing.

Posted by Slinesing Uninemble3662 2005-12-21 16:42|| 2005-12-21 16:42|| Front Page Top

#9 It would take someone above and outside these agencies to actually get them to work together. The right thing to do would be to give the NSA oversight over Homeland Security / FBI IT infrastructure. It'll never happen, the MSM and the Democrats would raise an incredible stink if Bush ever proposed something like this.

Posted by DMFD 2005-12-21 21:02|| 2005-12-21 21:02|| Front Page Top

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