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Join the U.S. Digital Service

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Re: Join the U.S. Digital Service

#231

Post by tomjen3 »

joelanman wrote: post #105

I work for the UK Government Digital Service - my views don't necessarily represent my employer. There are lots of comments here around the idea of whether you would work for a government if you disagreed with their political views. What I love about working on GDS projects is the potential to improve so many people's lives. People often don't have a choice when it comes to interacting with government - it's often a…

>So, even if sometimes I may disagree with aspects of policy, the reality is there is going to be a digital service based on it. And I can help a lot of people by being part of making it as simple as possible.

healthcare.gov wouldn't have worked if the geeks hadn't fixed it and without that ObamaCare would look different. I doubt anyone would disagree with me saying that ObamaCare was the most politically divided program in years which means that ultimatively the geeks made policy on a very controversial issue. I think you are underestimating the kind of influence your work will have.

To take a current UK issue: without geeks there is no way the government will be able to implement snoopers charter. In this century the politicians can't do anything without some geek being involved - and we can't ignore that.

Re: Join the U.S. Digital Service

#232

Post by tomjen3 »

navait wrote: post #82
gyardley wrote: post #27

Let's say it's January 2017 and President Bush or Rubio or Paul or Walker is being inaugurated. Does the 'U.S. Digital Service' actually keep getting funded? If it does, do the staff actually want to stay? Will any of them be willing to work on government objectives that might not be in line with their personal politics? I'll believe this is actually what it claims it is when I see it and its staff persist through a…

Are there republicans actually criticizing the the Digital Service?(ignoring healthcare.gov) I certainly have no clue why they would, as everyone needs better IT infrastructure. A project like this, run well, would be in line with republican policy objectives.

If your goal is to see a smaller government then it isn't unreasonable to not want the government to be more effective - in the shorter term that means a more bloated government, but in the medium and long term you get what you want. If you allow the government to become a bit more effective then it may stay around for quite some time, destroying resources (or whatever ill you currently think it does).

Think of it as the difference between scrapping a legacy system and patching it up so that it can run a bit longer. If you can't get the budget to rebuild it from the ground up, you might be better of letting it lumber on until you can.

Re: Join the U.S. Digital Service

#233

Post by DeadeyeDuck »

wpietri wrote: post #6

I have met some of the 18F folks here in San Francisco, and I have gradually become convinced that there is a lot of substance to this effort. People, apparently including people at the highest levels, recognize that information technology has made enormous leaps in the private sector, and they are serious about helping government catch up. One of the most interesting bits to me was something said by Todd Park, a for…

Ala "improving gov efficiency through smart use of tech"...I've worked in mil/Fed IT/telecom/technology-development for nearly 30 years. The problem isn't a lack of desire by the metal-benders trying to employ better/faster/cheaper tech, the problem is getting the Jabba-the-Hut career-protected SESs and their minions out of the way, along with instituting Fed procurement and contracting processes that actually facilitate a delivery timeline that at least keeps up with Moore's Law.

The challenge that USDS will need to overcome is one of culture and regulation bureaucracy, not one of throwing a unicorn cavalry at various IT dragons. You go pure "change from within", you'll fail. You go pure newbie/private sector, you'll fail. You need to find fresh and innovative eyes and pair them up with existing Fed ITers that haven't yet been jaded into submission.

Like you, I'm excited to see how it turns out. They need to succeed. If they fail, it will be a long-term failure, and that will do no one any good.

Re: Join the U.S. Digital Service

#234

Post by DeadeyeDuck »

javaun wrote: post #175
eastbayjake wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get what you're trying to say but literally every department, bureau, and agency replaces leadership and huge numbers of staff when the White House changes parties. We can argue about whether that's a good thing, but those organizations do seem to weather the change and continue on with their core functions. The State Department is vastly more complex than a tech company yet manages to keep itself in order when one…

The rank and file and core management stay the same, at at agency, it's the political appointees at the top that change for new administrations. This can be dramatic -- at the EPA, Republican leaders tend to dismantle the agency and cease enforcement, while Democrats do the opposite. I'm not sure USDS or 18F are politicized yet, they're making government more efficient. Then again if you hate government and want to d…

The USDS leadership (and enough key staffers) are indeed appointees -- that's a concern. And if you look at their bios, many have strong & active ties to the Obama election efforts. That will not escape a party-change in the administration should it happen unless you have a "best for the country" administration philosophy come in and they take a truly non-partisan, objective view of what needs to continue.

Re: Join the U.S. Digital Service

#235

Post by DeadeyeDuck »

mattdeboard wrote: post #197

Too bad the VA positions are only open in DC and Boston. I'm a veteran and a software developer. I'd love to be able to help out but I'm in Austin and unwilling to move my family again. Bummer.

Not so! Not so! Don't let what they say in the advertisement dissuade you. I just completed the full interview process and was offered a position at the end of it. I declined because I'm a Feddie (& like you, a Veteran) and they offered no reinstatement provision if I jumped ship from my current agency to theirs -- i.e., I'm could be completely out of a job anywhere between one pay period to at most six years after joining USDS. THAT was the problem -- no job security. They are severely limiting the type of folks they're attracting with that model (i.e., the unemployed, risk-takers, or those who a family is not relying on for income).

BUT... I was told three times during the interview that teleworking would be o.k. and that I might have to travel about once a month or so.

Re: Join the U.S. Digital Service

#237

Post by DeadeyeDuck »

bmj wrote: post #180
joelanman wrote: post #105

I work for the UK Government Digital Service - my views don't necessarily represent my employer. There are lots of comments here around the idea of whether you would work for a government if you disagreed with their political views. What I love about working on GDS projects is the potential to improve so many people's lives. People often don't have a choice when it comes to interacting with government - it's often a…

Thanks for posting this. Imagine what would happen to the country if, after Obama was elected, every single right-leaning person employed by the government up and left. Government services rely on continuity, particularly stuff like welfare and social security (in the US). Imagine if you had to completely retrain that workforce every four years.

Well, even you lean left or right, you're still leaning on the need to have a paycheck. But your point is well made.

Re: Join the U.S. Digital Service

#238

Post by zak_mc_kracken »

ripb wrote: post #181
debacle wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Internet is enabling a government of the people for the first time since our population exploded in the last century. Things are bad right now, but they're getting better. As long as the Internet remains an open and free place, society as a whole will continue to progress and grow at a faster and faster pace.

>The Internet is enabling a government of the people for the first time since our population exploded in the last century. Is that you, Obama? What is this nonsense? >Things are bad right now, but they're getting better. Things - socially, politically and economically - are continuing to get worse for the average person. What world are you living on?

Literacy and education have never been as high as they are today.

Poverty and sickness rates have never been as low as they are today.

Sure, there's a lot of room for improvement but it's undeniable that over the past century, humanity as a whole has been getting a lot better year after year.

Re: Join the U.S. Digital Service

#239

Post by mattdeboard »

DeadeyeDuck wrote: post #235
mattdeboard wrote: post #197

Too bad the VA positions are only open in DC and Boston. I'm a veteran and a software developer. I'd love to be able to help out but I'm in Austin and unwilling to move my family again. Bummer.

Not so! Not so! Don't let what they say in the advertisement dissuade you. I just completed the full interview process and was offered a position at the end of it. I declined because I'm a Feddie (& like you, a Veteran) and they offered no reinstatement provision if I jumped ship from my current agency to theirs -- i.e., I'm could be completely out of a job anywhere between one pay period to at most six years after j…

If you ever come back to check up on this, please contact me at the email address in my profile. THanks.
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