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US Tech Force

techforce.gov

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Re: US Tech Force

#81

Post by ecshafer »

tptacek wrote: post #70
embedding-shape wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is a thing you can only say if you know very little about the talent pipeline for actual espionage technology in the USG Or something one might want to say if they want to still have plausible deniability about not having been there, yet still want to say something. Who knows.

The USG does not want plausible deniability about this. They actively recruit on elite engineering campuses over it. It is super fucking interesting work and candidates compete for the opportunity to do it. If you think otherwise, you're in a filter bubble.

There is this consistent myth by the most radical faction of people in the country. They are only the most radical 5 or 10%, but they seem to believe their anti-nationalist, anti-government, anti-American views are much more widely share than they are. The vast majority of American's view working in the defense industry, espionage, etc as a good thing.

Re: US Tech Force

#82

Post by ActorNightly »

alaxhn wrote: post #75
afavour wrote: post #29

> Tech Force will primarily recruit early-career technologists > Tech Force will include centralized organization and programming and serve as a recruiting platform post-employment. Be prepared to struggle at the end of your two year placement because you have no idea how this is going to look on your resume two years from now. Maybe it’ll have the gravitas of having worked at the former USDS. But maybe it’ll be the…

I think you are right that you could face some challenges during the screening process but if you get to the interview this should be easy to explain with a face saving excuse. "The tech industry was doing poorly and I was faced with a layoff so I took whatever job I could get. While I didn't agree with the actions of the administration I felt like I could be a force for good in an otherwise turbulent environment" As…

>As we all know Nazi scientists went on to work for and lead parts of Nasa.

The difference is, those scientists were literally the best of the best in the world when it came to rocketry.

All their assistants did not share the same fate.

But generally, unless something drastic happens politically, companies won't care that much.

Re: US Tech Force

#83

Post by tptacek »

embedding-shape wrote: post #79
tptacek wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The USG does not want plausible deniability about this. They actively recruit on elite engineering campuses over it. It is super fucking interesting work and candidates compete for the opportunity to do it. If you think otherwise, you're in a filter bubble.

I'm not talking about the USG... Yes yes, it's great work and no drawbacks, particularly not considering the moral and ethical implications. But please do continue try to help them recruit while purposefully misunderstand what I write.

They do not need my help recruiting and the fact that you think an HN thread has any impact whatsoever on elite CS talent matriculating into CNE programs is further evidence you may be in a filter bubble. Not understanding this can't possibly help your cause.

Re: US Tech Force

#84

Post by tptacek »

ecshafer wrote: post #81
tptacek wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The USG does not want plausible deniability about this. They actively recruit on elite engineering campuses over it. It is super fucking interesting work and candidates compete for the opportunity to do it. If you think otherwise, you're in a filter bubble.

There is this consistent myth by the most radical faction of people in the country. They are only the most radical 5 or 10%, but they seem to believe their anti-nationalist, anti-government, anti-American views are much more widely share than they are. The vast majority of American's view working in the defense industry, espionage, etc as a good thing .

There are ways in which it clearly is a good thing. I don't have my head around how people could oppose CNE operations aimed at counterproliferation, for example. But obviously, it's morally fraught work (fraught, meaning complicated, a minefield, not meaning "damnable") and I don't have the stomach (or, really, the talent) for it.

Re: US Tech Force

#85

Post by redserk »

alaxhn wrote: post #75
afavour wrote: post #29

> Tech Force will primarily recruit early-career technologists > Tech Force will include centralized organization and programming and serve as a recruiting platform post-employment. Be prepared to struggle at the end of your two year placement because you have no idea how this is going to look on your resume two years from now. Maybe it’ll have the gravitas of having worked at the former USDS. But maybe it’ll be the…

I think you are right that you could face some challenges during the screening process but if you get to the interview this should be easy to explain with a face saving excuse. "The tech industry was doing poorly and I was faced with a layoff so I took whatever job I could get. While I didn't agree with the actions of the administration I felt like I could be a force for good in an otherwise turbulent environment" As…

I'd wager "scientist with a deep background in research of rocket propolsion technology in the 1950s" was a bit more difficult to come by than "early-career software developer who integrated a bunch of APIs and maybe wrote a frontend in React".

Re: US Tech Force

#86

Post by phantasmish »

afavour wrote: post #18
pavel_lishin wrote: post #2

> Are there any other benefits? > Additional benefits include professional development opportunities, networking with government and industry leaders, and a pathway to continued public service or private sector careers. Given the lack of mention of any benefits prior to this, it sure sounds like "you'll get lots of exposure!" edit: not sure if they just added it, or if I just missed it, but there is an FAQ entry on c…

Yeah, given the primary benefit of government jobs like this is usually the stability, pension etc when you’re offering absolutely none of that you really need to look down the back of the couch for some benefits.

I was super-interested in this years ago. My interest vanished when I encountered the “tour of duty” concept. I don’t make FAANG money so the pay was roughly a lateral move for me if it’d included retirement, but having it be time-bound rather than career-oriented was a huge turnoff. Was ready to make that my whole deal, potentially for the rest of my life.

The US going politically totally batshit crazy shortly after ended up making it for the best that I did’t join, but still, it struck me as weird that they had to set it up with that extra sting of “we have to make sure this is a sacrifice”.

Re: US Tech Force

#87

Post by Jtsummers »

zkmon wrote: post #74

Why only 2 years? Why can't it be a permanent employment?

It looks like this is trying to fit into the same space as the former USDS and F18 which had term appointments. The key idea behind those was the industry partnership (recruiting experienced people from industry) and the knowledge/skills transfer that came with it. If you look at some other programs (Peace Corps, for instance) you'll see a similar thing. 2-year terms with extensions up to maybe 5 total years.

What's funny is the retirement benefits won't apply to most 2-year term employees. Unless they were prior military or civil service, or come back later, two years is not long enough to keep the TSP match (three year vesting period) or to qualify for the pension (five years). (EDIT: Funny because they explicitly list it as a benefit, but these folks won't qualify for it.)

Re: US Tech Force

#88

Post by jshier »

nozzlegear wrote: post #4

> No, Tech Force positions are not political appointments. Participants are hired as federal employees based on their technical qualifications and serve in non-partisan roles focused on technology implementation. Will you be forced to set a politically biased out-of-office message that blames the Other Side when you're inevitably furloughed during the next funding crisis?

Given the current administration's desire for unmitigated power, and SCOTUS' inclination to give it to them, there's really no such thing as a non-partisan role anymore. When you can be fired at any moment for any action the regime deems disloyal, you can't be nonpartisan.

Re: US Tech Force

#89

Post by phantasmish »

afavour wrote: post #67
quantified wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These employees will be hired by the companies they helped integrate. Not a single one will look on them poorly. They will have domain knowledge, turf knowledge, and they won't argue about working with MAGA for money.

Embracing MAGA on your resume can pay dividends when they’re in power. Perhaps less so once the tide (inevitably) turns. There’s a reason a lot of gov tech folks deliberately paint themselves as non partisan.

They’ll be fine in the “defense” industry.

Re: US Tech Force

#90

Post by jeffbee »

You can go ahead and add this to the list of job experiences that will earn you a "Definitely Not" rating from me in the hiring committee, along with doge, palantir, coinbase, etc.
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