Pro tip to 18F workers: get rehired as consultants for 2x the wages.
The original formula for 18F was to hire elite tech workers coming from highly paid corporate jobs to do term-limited stints in public service at lower wages.
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GSA Eliminates 18F
131–140 of 495 posts
Re: GSA Eliminates 18F
#132This thing was always underutilized even by the last 2 administrations. For all of the purported DOGE savings, these folks actually legitimately saved money from agencies, which is why big contractor shops were so opposed. They didn't take Congressional appropriations and charged agencies for work, but couldn't just go to agencies and pitch business, they had to be reached out to.
Can't imagine how much better the thing had been if it'd been allowed to fully blossom, but given all the stuff they deal with it, it wasn't perfect but it was a really good experiment.
Re: GSA Eliminates 18F
#133a couple pages that describe the agency and their projects, for those who were not familiar. the agency was created in 2014. https://18f.gsa.gov/our-work/ https://www.govtech.com/civic/what-is-18f.html Key Projects : Beta.FEC.gov: Revamped the Federal Election Commission's website for easier record access. MyUSCIS: Simplified the immigration process for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS ICAM De…
yeah this agency is kinda what I imagined DOGE was created to be. alas now I am just confused
The people in charge are intentionally ignorant of things that _already exist in government_, like the OIG, 18F/USDS, etc. And since their actual goal is to slash and burn the government so that it's literally unable to function, thus justifying its total collapse since it no longer has capacity, they have to take out the people who actually look for corruption, look into social security fraud, improve government technology systems, etc who would see through and call this shit out.
It's never been about making government more effect or efficient-- it's the managerial equivalent of the "starve the beast" mentality.
Re: GSA Eliminates 18F
#134Earlier quoted context omitted.
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> They are also some of the most vocal extreme left-wing activists I've known well. Can you give a few examples of the vocal extreme left-wing activism?
18F wrote a slack bot to police "non-inclusive" language. You know, "hey guys" etc.
https://technical.ly/software-development/18f-using-slackbot...
https://github.com/18F/18f.gsa.gov/blob/master/_posts/2016-0...
Re: GSA Eliminates 18F
#135A good article from (2015) about the formation of 18F is “Inside Obama’s Stealth Startup”, https://www.fastcompany.com/3046756/obama-and-his-geeks . I can’t access an archived version at the moment but if someone finds a link, it is an insightful read.
(edit: first archive link was not complete) https://archive.is/vEExp
Re: GSA Eliminates 18F
#136Amazing how the idea of being able to file tax returns online, without paying for a commercial service to do it, is considered far-left extremism in the US. You’d think that simplifying tax returns and reducing costs in the taxation system would be something the right could get behind?
The right wants everything related to taxes to be as difficult and painful as possible, in the hopes it will encourage the government to lower them.
They want everything to be privatized so they can rake in that sweet, sweet lobbyist money.
There's zero reason why taxes, for the majority of citizens, isn't just a postcard you get in the mail and confirm against your own earnings records. It should not cost me hours of my own life and/or dollars of my own money to file my taxes. I don't mind paying them (if they're used for something actually constructive like public infrastructure) but gosh they sure make it hard.
Re: GSA Eliminates 18F
#137Amazing how the idea of being able to file tax returns online, without paying for a commercial service to do it, is considered far-left extremism in the US. You’d think that simplifying tax returns and reducing costs in the taxation system would be something the right could get behind?
no, the right wants you to keep paying Turbotax.
"Musk ally is moving to close office behind free tax filing program at IRS" (2025)
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43222216
Re: GSA Eliminates 18F
#138a couple pages that describe the agency and their projects, for those who were not familiar. the agency was created in 2014. https://18f.gsa.gov/our-work/ https://www.govtech.com/civic/what-is-18f.html Key Projects : Beta.FEC.gov: Revamped the Federal Election Commission's website for easier record access. MyUSCIS: Simplified the immigration process for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS ICAM De…
yeah this agency is kinda what I imagined DOGE was created to be. alas now I am just confused
it's because DOGE is full of sycophants and 18F wasn't, that's the whole thing
Re: GSA Eliminates 18F
#139Amazing how the idea of being able to file tax returns online, without paying for a commercial service to do it, is considered far-left extremism in the US. You’d think that simplifying tax returns and reducing costs in the taxation system would be something the right could get behind?
The right wants everything related to taxes to be as difficult and painful as possible, in the hopes it will encourage the government to lower them.
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Re: GSA Eliminates 18F
#140Earlier quoted context omitted.
Got to make room for the trillion dollar tax cuts. Trickle down economics, right? Can’t wait for the pitchforks to rise up against the billionaires that created this mess.
This isn't caused by some nebulous alliance of "billionaires," this is caused by one particular billionaire, Elon Musk, and his friends. These days I'm getting skeptical of these anti-billionaire quips. Sounds like a great segue to "all politicians are the same because they're in the billionaire's pocket," and now look at what that led us into.
what function do billionaires fulfill that 1000 millionaires couldn't do better?