Ineffective Government? Blame the computers!

[KLHJ2]

The article is horse shit. Old outdated computers my ass.

1. The decision making process is what slows everything down the most. The decision making process cannot keep up with the advancement of operating systems. Maybe that is why people think that the computers are old, but that is not the case. The computers themselves have a natural phase out cycle, it just takes forever to decide on an image.

2. The gov't has technology there, but as always security trumps performance. Not only that but sometimes you have all the right stuff, just not enough of it.

3. If and when I can think of a 3 it will go here.

Things just always sound better in threes.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by Buster

47%?!?!?!?!?!?

Geesh.

About each % point equals about a million more its going to cost so right now its about 45 million over budget. This light rail system only runs about 7 1/2 miles and I'm guessing will get little use.

[FRPLG]

Technology in gov't is a disaster. I have worked as a defense IT contractor and now I work for a local gov't in their IT dept. The problems are the same...nobody except the IT workers have a clue what IT really means and what IT should be doing for it's customers. If the right people aren't in charge and lobbying for IT resources and investment then nothing happens. The computers are the simple stuff. It's easy to throw away an old machine and buy a new one. It is the SYSTEMS that are woefully behind. We run a financial package here bought, configured and deployed in 1994. 16 YEARS AGO!!! We're not a podunk little town. It was a POS then and it's an even bigger POS now. Except now it suffers from "Bus Screwed" syndrome. If the wrong person gets hit by a bus my city might as well shutdown because we're screwed. An ounce of strategic planning and long term vision would have cost little and put us in better shape today. But that aint how it works. Local/state/federal it is all the same. Too many stupid people who don't care and not enough smart people advocating for the right things.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

Technology in gov't is a disaster. I have worked as a defense IT contractor and now I work for a local gov't in their IT dept. The problems are the same...nobody except the IT workers have a clue what IT really means and what IT should be doing for it's customers. If the right people aren't in charge and lobbying for IT resources and investment then nothing happens. The computers are the simple stuff. It's easy to throw away an old machine and buy a new one. It is the SYSTEMS that are woefully behind. We run a financial package here bought, configured and deployed in 1994. 16 YEARS AGO!!! We're not a podunk little town. It was a POS then and it's an even bigger POS now. Except now it suffers from "Bus Screwed" syndrome. If the wrong person gets hit by a bus my city might as well shutdown because we're screwed. An ounce of strategic planning and long term vision would have cost little and put us in better shape today. But that aint how it works. Local/state/federal it is all the same. Too many stupid people who don't care and not enough smart people advocating for the right things.

You can have the best computer in the world but if people don't know how to run the system its a waist. I have a great system in my office and I probably use about 1% of what it can do. I'm a sales person not an IT guy so it just goes un used.

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

Technology in gov't is a disaster. I have worked as a defense IT contractor and now I work for a local gov't in their IT dept. The problems are the same...nobody except the IT workers have a clue what IT really means and what IT should be doing for it's customers. If the right people aren't in charge and lobbying for IT resources and investment then nothing happens. The computers are the simple stuff. It's easy to throw away an old machine and buy a new one. It is the SYSTEMS that are woefully behind. We run a financial package here bought, configured and deployed in 1994. 16 YEARS AGO!!! We're not a podunk little town. It was a POS then and it's an even bigger POS now. Except now it suffers from "Bus Screwed" syndrome. If the wrong person gets hit by a bus my city might as well shutdown because we're screwed. An ounce of strategic planning and long term vision would have cost little and put us in better shape today. But that aint how it works. Local/state/federal it is all the same. Too many stupid people who don't care and not enough smart people advocating for the right things.

1994? Damn I bet Y2K was a bitch!

[tryfuhl]

if the admin bought all new computers we'd hear whining about that too though, this has really been an issue for years and years though according to my uncle who does IT in congress

I'd have to know more specifics to have an opinion I guess

[724Skinsfan]

Public school systems technology purchasing isn't much different. You have to spend what the budget allows. It's not like they can make a better product or provide better service to increase revenue to buy better equipment. I'd say the life expectancy of our computers to remain in operation in some form of capacity is 8 years before it goes surplus. We actually spend a lot on technology purchases compared to other school systems.