18F is the Military Occupational Specialty code for something in Special Forces, that can't be a coincidence.
Why a federal high-tech start-up is a money loser
181–190 of 219 posts
Re: Why a federal high-tech start-up is a money loser
#182Earlier quoted context omitted.
I want government sites and buildings to look like archaic disasters, because it at least implies that my tax dollars aren't being pissed away on frivolous opulence. Google can spend ten billion dollars changing their logo because they're profitable and they answer to their board & shareholders. I don't remember anyone asking me if I wanted to contribute money to a government tech startup.
"I want government sites and buildings to look like archaic disasters" And what do you propose doing about people who use arguments of the form: "Can you believe this government $thing? It looks like an archaic disaster. Government can't do anything right. Therefore..."
We'll have those people either way. Just ignore them
Re: Why a federal high-tech start-up is a money loser
#183Alternate title: Government agency produces many times more value than its miniscule 32 million USD cost.
Re: Why a federal high-tech start-up is a money loser
#184Earlier quoted context omitted.
The author comments that he doesn't like their new logo.
The greater point is that 727 hours of staff time were spent on it.
727 hours/10 hours a day = 72.7 days.
roughly 22 working days per month.
72.7/22 = 3.3 months
As far as logo design goes, this is actually pretty fast. Most companies I've dealt with stuff like this usually takes much, much longer depending on how picky the founders are.
Re: Why a federal high-tech start-up is a money loser
#185Earlier quoted context omitted.
Regardless of what speakers of those languages do, we can do everything we can to remove gender bias from English. We don't have to keep doing something just because others are doing it.
Yup. I don't have a solution for gendered languages because it's not a problem I deal with much. I'm going to work on English, and I'll trust that other people will find the right solution for their cultures.
Are you working hard at not referring to ships using a feminine pronoun (i.e. "this is her maiden voyage")?
Re: Why a federal high-tech start-up is a money loser
#186Earlier quoted context omitted.
I smell a hit piece from a mile away. 18F has done a lot of good but in trying to change how government IT does business but they've also made powerful enemies who view them as a threat to their power base.. Find something that can be spun negatively and sell the story to a friendly journalist. That it what appears to have been done here. Next get the head of a budget committee to question 18F spending. It is all don…
This happened in the UK with the GDS (which 18F is modelled closely on), they got savaged in the press by vested interests, it was pretty blatant tbh.
Now I don't think GDS walk on water, but their work really is much better than how things normally get done in the civil service.
The press focussed on, "This bureaucrat paid market rate for in-demand skills! Disgusting!" Rather than, "In house experts save tax payer being ripped off again!"
Re: Why a federal high-tech start-up is a money loser
#187Earlier quoted context omitted.
I smell a hit piece from a mile away. 18F has done a lot of good but in trying to change how government IT does business but they've also made powerful enemies who view them as a threat to their power base.. Find something that can be spun negatively and sell the story to a friendly journalist. That it what appears to have been done here. Next get the head of a budget committee to question 18F spending. It is all don…
I too smell a hit piece. But I kept reading to figure out why. What got me thinking this was the statement about generating 22 million when there is a goal of 32 million. And that was after a year of zero revenue.
I was impressed with that too.
Re: Why a federal high-tech start-up is a money loser
#188Re: Why a federal high-tech start-up is a money loser
#189Looks like some big bloated money-wasting federal contractors that are seeing their margins hit by 18F caught the Post on a lazy day and had their Press Sec feed the Post a pre-written piece so the reporter could get to happy hour early. I expect better from the WP.
Re: Why a federal high-tech start-up is a money loser
#190Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yup. I don't have a solution for gendered languages because it's not a problem I deal with much. I'm going to work on English, and I'll trust that other people will find the right solution for their cultures.
Are you working hard at not referring to ships using a feminine pronoun (i.e. "this is her maiden voyage")?
Nope. Gendering ships has always felt awkward to me.