4 ms·

I can provide an example. I live in Seattle, and use "One Bus Away" everyday. It provides a map showing of all the public bus stops, and real time estimates for

I can provide an example. I live in Seattle, and use "One Bus Away" everyday. It provides a map showing of all the public bus stops, and real time estimates for bus arrivals at each stop.

maverick_iceman 10y ago
One Bus Away was developed by University of Washington students, not government bureaucrats.
- yazaddaruvala 10y ago
  How do you believe University of Washington students know the location of each bus in the Metro Seattle area, in "real time"? Also, to play devil's advocate, isn't UW technically government funded, at least subsidized for "in state" students?
  - staticfish 10y ago
    Simple. they pushed and pushed until they could get wheel arch counters installed on the buses.
- function_seven 10y ago
  That's not really relevant to the GGP comment, though. The government can take the tax money and contract out the development work on an app. Or use cheap student labor.
  - ars 10y ago
    Of course it's relevant. The "government" doesn't make apps directly ever. The difference is who speced the project, or came up with the ideas.
    - function_seven 10y ago
      Sorry, but GGP said they'd never seen a successful government app. GP replied with an example of one. Parent discounted that example because it wasn't coded by a government employee (in effect moving the goalposts). My point is that it's irrelevant whether a government employee or an outside party created the app. It's still a government app, providing access and information about government-provided services. Unless you think the Seattle mass transit system is a private-sector company.
  - canjobear 10y ago
    But they can't contract the work out to anyone they want. There are strong regulations on how the government can contract work, which are often a proximate cause of poor quality.
- intopieces 10y ago
  Yeah, it's a shame there aren't any technically inclined universities in Massachusetts that the government bureaucrats could turn to. Would make it a lot easier.
  - maverick_iceman 10y ago
    The government bureaucrats will probably end up taxing those technically inclined universities to support the teaching of intelligent design.

I can provide an example. I live in Seattle, and use "One Bus Away" everyday. It provides a map showing of all the public bus stops, and real time estimates for bus arrivals at each stop.

maverick_iceman 10y ago

One Bus Away was developed by University of Washington students, not government bureaucrats.

yazaddaruvala 10y ago
How do you believe University of Washington students know the location of each bus in the Metro Seattle area, in "real time"? Also, to play devil's advocate, isn't UW technically government funded, at least subsidized for "in state" students?
- staticfish 10y ago
  Simple. they pushed and pushed until they could get wheel arch counters installed on the buses.
function_seven 10y ago
That's not really relevant to the GGP comment, though. The government can take the tax money and contract out the development work on an app. Or use cheap student labor.
- ars 10y ago
  Of course it's relevant. The "government" doesn't make apps directly ever. The difference is who speced the project, or came up with the ideas.
  - function_seven 10y ago
    Sorry, but GGP said they'd never seen a successful government app. GP replied with an example of one. Parent discounted that example because it wasn't coded by a government employee (in effect moving the goalposts). My point is that it's irrelevant whether a government employee or an outside party created the app. It's still a government app, providing access and information about government-provided services. Unless you think the Seattle mass transit system is a private-sector company.
- canjobear 10y ago
  But they can't contract the work out to anyone they want. There are strong regulations on how the government can contract work, which are often a proximate cause of poor quality.
intopieces 10y ago
Yeah, it's a shame there aren't any technically inclined universities in Massachusetts that the government bureaucrats could turn to. Would make it a lot easier.
- maverick_iceman 10y ago
  The government bureaucrats will probably end up taxing those technically inclined universities to support the teaching of intelligent design.