"Improvements are not consciously forbidden, and making things better is not discouraged. But like an enormous traffic jam, no single person has room to do much

"Improvements are not consciously forbidden, and making things better is not discouraged. But like an enormous traffic jam, no single person has room to do much of anything. Coordinating a number of people to try and move in a better direction can improve things a little, until they are stopped by another group who has no room to move." That is a great metaphor. Anybody who's considering joining USDS, I think ckozlowski's comment gets the situation exactly right. You are unblocking a traffic jam.