5 ms·

it's the government, we're thrilled they can do anything.

by ProAm 10y ago

kartan 10y ago
It all depends how much politics are involved, or how much public workers can freely do their jobs: https://www.nasa.gov/ https://www.nasa.gov/ http://www.darpa.mil/ http://www.darpa.mil/ And is Healthcare.gov developed by the government or just bough to an external company? It just an observation, I don't know if Healthcare.gov is a good or bad technology.
- foota 10y ago
  I believe it was one of the first projects of the digital service. (https://www.usds.gov/ https://www.usds.gov/)
  - vertex-four 10y ago
    Not quite. It was designed by a contractor, developed by several others, and once it was released to the public and shown to be dreadful, another contractor was put in charge of fixing it. It's still primarily developed by contract to this day. The first head of the USDS was involved in coordinating the fixing of Healthcare.gov, though.
    - foota 10y ago
      That's probably what I was thinking about, thanks.
- leakybit 10y ago
  Development is contracted out, it usually go along the lines: Budget $1 Billion 1. Large government contractors: keep $400 million, outsource all work to-> 2. Other government contractors: keep $200 million, outsource all work to-> 3. Third party companies: keep $100 million, outsource all work to--> 4. .... 5 ..... .. 10. Bangladesh code farm does all coding for $10 million.
sumoboy 10y ago
Especially after spending billions $$ just to create the platform, it should have been able to do that day 1.
Certhas 10y ago
I know it's just a throw away joke, but this persistent idea that government is incompetent, no matter what is really damaging. When it comes to health care systems there is no evidence whatsoever that less government means more efficiency, if anything the US is a huge example to the contrary.
- ProAm 10y ago
  Im not really joking, their ability to do anything efficiently or correctly for a reasonable sum of money is embarrassing. I know it's a joke as well, but it's funny because it's true.
  - Retric 10y ago
    Social Security has vastly lower overhead than any equivalent private program. Now, you can see crazy waste on both sides EX: Drug Advertising. But, it's hard to look at this objectively.
  - mozumder 10y ago
    My experience is the opposite. Private companies seem completely inefficient compared to government, and I've worked as engineers in both. Really it is only a right-wing profit-driven talking point to say government is inefficient, mostly to protect against their profits that government takes away. Government is exceedingly efficient.
    - ProAm 10y ago
      I've worked in both as well and vehemently disagree.
      - mozumder 10y ago
        The numbers support my case. You can send a mail with the USPS for 50 cents anywhere in the country, but it costs $5-$10 to do the same with UPS or FedEx. Literally 10x-20x costlier. Government just doesn't have to waste money on things like profit or marketing that private companies need to do.

it's the government, we're thrilled they can do anything.

by ProAm 10y ago

it's the government, we're thrilled they can do anything.

It all depends how much politics are involved, or how much public workers can freely do their jobs: https://www.nasa.gov/ https://www.nasa.gov/ http://www.darpa.mil/ http://www.darpa.mil/ And is Healthcare.gov developed by the government or just bough to an external company? It just an observation, I don't know if Healthcare.gov is a good or bad technology.

foota 10y ago
I believe it was one of the first projects of the digital service. (https://www.usds.gov/ https://www.usds.gov/)
- vertex-four 10y ago
  Not quite. It was designed by a contractor, developed by several others, and once it was released to the public and shown to be dreadful, another contractor was put in charge of fixing it. It's still primarily developed by contract to this day. The first head of the USDS was involved in coordinating the fixing of Healthcare.gov, though.
  - foota 10y ago
    That's probably what I was thinking about, thanks.
leakybit 10y ago
Development is contracted out, it usually go along the lines: Budget $1 Billion 1. Large government contractors: keep $400 million, outsource all work to-> 2. Other government contractors: keep $200 million, outsource all work to-> 3. Third party companies: keep $100 million, outsource all work to--> 4. .... 5 ..... .. 10. Bangladesh code farm does all coding for $10 million.

sumoboy 10y ago

Especially after spending billions $$ just to create the platform, it should have been able to do that day 1.

Certhas 10y ago

I know it's just a throw away joke, but this persistent idea that government is incompetent, no matter what is really damaging. When it comes to health care systems there is no evidence whatsoever that less government means more efficiency, if anything the US is a huge example to the contrary.

ProAm 10y ago
Im not really joking, their ability to do anything efficiently or correctly for a reasonable sum of money is embarrassing. I know it's a joke as well, but it's funny because it's true.
- Retric 10y ago
  Social Security has vastly lower overhead than any equivalent private program. Now, you can see crazy waste on both sides EX: Drug Advertising. But, it's hard to look at this objectively.
- mozumder 10y ago
  My experience is the opposite. Private companies seem completely inefficient compared to government, and I've worked as engineers in both. Really it is only a right-wing profit-driven talking point to say government is inefficient, mostly to protect against their profits that government takes away. Government is exceedingly efficient.
  - ProAm 10y ago
    I've worked in both as well and vehemently disagree.
    - mozumder 10y ago
      The numbers support my case. You can send a mail with the USPS for 50 cents anywhere in the country, but it costs $5-$10 to do the same with UPS or FedEx. Literally 10x-20x costlier. Government just doesn't have to waste money on things like profit or marketing that private companies need to do.