> 18F or whatever publishes a lot of stuff like this. Markdown policy documents. I think it’s profoundly wasteful I think you’re under-estimating the value of

> 18F or whatever publishes a lot of stuff like this. Markdown policy documents. I think it’s profoundly wasteful I think you’re under-estimating the value of publishing a good policy from a respectable source within the Federal government. Many of the government’s technology problems are actually self-inflicted policy problems. Publishing a good policy gives internal reformers a place to start. When the lawyers and security people start telling you no, it’s much more effective to say “actually this language comes directly from GSA, who approved it for X, which has the same compliance requirement you’re concerned about” than to simply protest that it’s industry best practice. I do agree that this lawyers-first way of doing things kinda sucks. It’s certainly not the way to maximize tech success. But it’s the system/culture we’ve got. I’d love to hear ideas for changing it, especially if you can figure out a way to accomplish the privacy, security, integrity, and fairness objectives that the current system prioritizes. A government agency struggling to serve the public good because it’s hobbled by obsolete tech is better than an agency enabled by cutting edge tech unshackled from the public interest and democratic legitimacy.