4 ms·

Could they not just offer to pay a premium for a larger API quota and additional support?

HenryBemis 8y ago
I think they prefer this "freemium" model. It works better when it's free data than having to pay a little something for the same data. As for the idea that DB is moved to Open Data, yes, it is a great idea, I can only think of people shouting "socialism!! communism!! don't kill the private sector!!" Maintaining their own data center (cloning the data once every 24h) would also mean they need to build a compliance capacity. Currently they don't own any data, they just pave the highway and sniffing the traffic (injecting ads). > "It does not store or sell users’ personal information, the company said." This is a big game changer and would require far greater Security/Compliance efforts. And if the full company is the 9 people appearing in the first photo, then they will need to double that.
- StudentStuff 8y ago
  With only 7 lookups per user per month, cloning the database likely doesn't make sense. The data will be stale, and the contractor would likely never permit a daily dump of the database either.
  - HenryBemis 8y ago
    Fair point. It looks like the free-meal is over for Propel (heh, pun!) and they will have to start paying a little something.
- pbhjpbhj 8y ago
  If a company provides a service on behalf of the government then really open data should be a basic requirement with default arrangements for high use, like a standard payment across all government open data per 100k accesses. Government enabled private monopoly is surely anti-capitalist too (ie as well as anti-communist, etc.).
  - dragonwriter 8y ago
    > Government enabled private monopoly is surely anti-capitalist Capitalism is defined by government maintaining a system of property rights defined to enable private monopoly, though this particular form does clash with the defensive propaganda developed by defenders of the system in response to the criticism of it for doing just that. OTOH, that propaganda has never really aligned with the reality of capitalism.
    - pbhjpbhj 8y ago
      Hmm, there are monopolisations of property like copyright, or land ownership, but we're talking monopolisation of a market - AIUI competition is fundamental to Western Capitalism as without it there is no market optimisation. The justification for allowing functions of the state to be performed by private enterprise is that competition in the markets leads to optimised systems that can't be achieved through centralisation; without that justification you're simply stealing from the demos to provide private profits.
StudentStuff 8y ago
Its a simple query of 2 values, current EBT Food Benefit and current EBT Cash balance. There isn't terribly much to support, and the "service" itself is a simple database lookup that is near zero cost to perform. API access for this should be free, its a public good.
- Gibbon1 8y ago
  Unpopular opinion the US Post office should offer minimal banking services and SS, Unemployment, and EBT transfers should be always to those accounts.
  - vertex-four 8y ago
    In the EU, all banks are required to provide basic banking services, including a debit card, to anybody who does not currently have a bank account. This practically killed cheque-cashing shops in the UK, and provided a significantly higher quality of life for workers, as well as simplifying payroll - direct debit can now be provided to all workers, there's no need to provide a cheque option. The issue, of course, is that the US Visa/Mastercard system is an often-offline, pull-based system - meaning that a card set up to always require online transactions may be unusable, preventing banks from providing accounts with a debit card without the potential for an overdraft.
  - megaman22 8y ago
    If that were the case, I'm not sure how helpful it would be. Have you tried to get into a post office lately? Frigging places are never open during hours that people who work could get in. But I suppose that wouldn't be as much of a problem for social security and unemployment...
    - jpindar 8y ago
      I haven't needed to physically go to my bank in a very long time.
    - fjsolwmv 8y ago
      I can go before or after work, lunchtime, or Saturday morning.

I think they prefer this "freemium" model. It works better when it's free data than having to pay a little something for the same data. As for the idea that DB is moved to Open Data, yes, it is a great idea, I can only think of people shouting "socialism!! communism!! don't kill the private sector!!" Maintaining their own data center (cloning the data once every 24h) would also mean they need to build a compliance capacity. Currently they don't own any data, they just pave the highway and sniffing the traffic (injecting ads). > "It does not store or sell users’ personal information, the company said." This is a big game changer and would require far greater Security/Compliance efforts. And if the full company is the 9 people appearing in the first photo, then they will need to double that.

StudentStuff 8y ago
With only 7 lookups per user per month, cloning the database likely doesn't make sense. The data will be stale, and the contractor would likely never permit a daily dump of the database either.
- HenryBemis 8y ago
  Fair point. It looks like the free-meal is over for Propel (heh, pun!) and they will have to start paying a little something.
pbhjpbhj 8y ago
If a company provides a service on behalf of the government then really open data should be a basic requirement with default arrangements for high use, like a standard payment across all government open data per 100k accesses. Government enabled private monopoly is surely anti-capitalist too (ie as well as anti-communist, etc.).
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  > Government enabled private monopoly is surely anti-capitalist Capitalism is defined by government maintaining a system of property rights defined to enable private monopoly, though this particular form does clash with the defensive propaganda developed by defenders of the system in response to the criticism of it for doing just that. OTOH, that propaganda has never really aligned with the reality of capitalism.
  - pbhjpbhj 8y ago
    Hmm, there are monopolisations of property like copyright, or land ownership, but we're talking monopolisation of a market - AIUI competition is fundamental to Western Capitalism as without it there is no market optimisation. The justification for allowing functions of the state to be performed by private enterprise is that competition in the markets leads to optimised systems that can't be achieved through centralisation; without that justification you're simply stealing from the demos to provide private profits.

StudentStuff 8y ago

Its a simple query of 2 values, current EBT Food Benefit and current EBT Cash balance. There isn't terribly much to support, and the "service" itself is a simple database lookup that is near zero cost to perform. API access for this should be free, its a public good.

Gibbon1 8y ago
Unpopular opinion the US Post office should offer minimal banking services and SS, Unemployment, and EBT transfers should be always to those accounts.
- vertex-four 8y ago
  In the EU, all banks are required to provide basic banking services, including a debit card, to anybody who does not currently have a bank account. This practically killed cheque-cashing shops in the UK, and provided a significantly higher quality of life for workers, as well as simplifying payroll - direct debit can now be provided to all workers, there's no need to provide a cheque option. The issue, of course, is that the US Visa/Mastercard system is an often-offline, pull-based system - meaning that a card set up to always require online transactions may be unusable, preventing banks from providing accounts with a debit card without the potential for an overdraft.
- megaman22 8y ago
  If that were the case, I'm not sure how helpful it would be. Have you tried to get into a post office lately? Frigging places are never open during hours that people who work could get in. But I suppose that wouldn't be as much of a problem for social security and unemployment...
  - jpindar 8y ago
    I haven't needed to physically go to my bank in a very long time.
  - fjsolwmv 8y ago
    I can go before or after work, lunchtime, or Saturday morning.