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Major shake-up coming for Fermilab, the troubled U.S. particle physics center

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Re: Major shake-up coming for Fermilab, the troubled U.S. particle physics center

#151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It really depends on where responsibility begins and ends. It might make a lot more sense, financially, for the government to manage maintenance using supplies and equipments purchased from private companies, with the people working on the roads being government employees instead of employees of the contractors. However, for specific jobs - say building a new bridge, etc. - it might make sense to have that be a compl…

I think there's a good reason to have anti-corruption measures and bring down the hammer hard on everyone in the administration that tries to circumvent them, but I do believe that government is just too inefficient when it comes to doing things. I'd rather risk that every tenth contract is fraudulent than have every contract cost twice as much with the government doing it themselves. There's just zero incentive for…

Privatized electric grid as a market led to Enron causing unnecessary rolling blackouts to make money.

The government is not a static hivemind, and deregulation and privatization are not panaceas.

The US political class (elected fraction of government) is among the most corrupt in the world. Campaign finance reform will never happen because the rich run America. If you think the rich have the needs of the many in mind when they spend billions on lobbying to get their way, I don't think you're fully aware of the situation in which America finds herself.

Re: Major shake-up coming for Fermilab, the troubled U.S. particle physics center

#152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not demonizing anyone, I'm talking about incentives. And I've come to my understanding of how they work on government employees by talking to, and working with (as a consultant), government employees. There's a certain bureaucratic counterproductivity that I've only ever encountered in government employees. If that doesn't match your experience and government in your area is highly efficient and you wouldn't chan…

> government in your area is highly efficient and you wouldn't change a thing More strawperson hyberbole. Hyberbole expresses only emotion; it adds nothing and gives us nothing to talk about on the merits. So, you're feeling frustrated? Angry?

Please don't antagonize a commenter or trivialize their condition. There are millions of frustrated Americans who can't articulate their discomforts much less their sources. There are many possibilities:

1. Loss of privilege and prestige socially and/or geopolitically

2. Lower income, more stress, working harder, and less financial freedom to have a happy enough life

3. Loss of community

4. Loss of safety

Re: Major shake-up coming for Fermilab, the troubled U.S. particle physics center

#153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If I stopped programming arbitrarily at 2:00pm when my hours are 9:00am-5:00pm I expect to be let go (unless I'm taking this as my lunch period). Especially to socialize over coffee. As a production-level IC I just can't do that ethically [...] Just an aside, but at a senior level walking around and bullshitting with people is where a lot of the work gets done. At some point you'll get involved with a project that'…

Also at formal senior/project lead/management levels myself. I do not find what you are positing to be my reality, at all. I don't think bullshitting leads to high productivity or task throughput. Anecdotally, I find the bullshitters are the ones holding the 20-40% of productive IC's back because of constant distractions, spec/scope socializing (and subsequent creep), and just general talking while others are trying…

This isn't someone coming up to your desk, this is more like two people from different departments rubber ducking each other on the walk to get coffee. It's all pre-spec work as you'd put it, but a bit of a continual review as well. 'Shop talk' doesn't really cover the scope.

> I find this comment makes assumptions of future me with the "at some point" language. Using a hypothetical regarding someone else's future self isn't ideal when arguing a point. It feels condescending in a "you just don't know yet" sorta way.

Yeah I'm working on a certain tone in my writing and haven't quite nailed shifts in PoV e.g. transitioning from you/you to you/one in a single sentence. Appreciate the feedback.

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