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Indiana Launches Statewide Productivity System
TaylorJo writes "Lt. Governor of Indiana Kathy Davis today unveiled a new technology program designed to give all Hoosiers free access to a full suite of computer software tools. The SimIndiana software permits residents to access their personal files and applications from any computer at any time. The software can be downloaded on the SimIndiana site, but requires Windows, and registration on the site, to use it. The program also provides an email address and remote storage on SimIndiana servers."
The software can be downloaded on the SimIndiana site, but requires Windows, and registration on the site, to use it.
See? They should have written it in Java.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
Craig Steffen, former Indiana resident
Craig Steffen
http://www.craigsteffen.net
Okay, a few more words....
Yes, you need to use Windows, and yes, we can't really trust the government (the next government, or maybe the one after that) with our personal/sensitive data/pr0n, but isn't it a good thing in principle that this is happening?
Tom.
Oh arse
Tried to create an account, but the site's getting slow. Anyway, at the whatis page says:
Every student, every parent, every business, EVERYONE who lives in the State of Indiana can use SimIndiana. The only requirement is that you register for the software with a valid Indiana address.
Can't we forge an address anyway? NY Times thinks I'm from Anchorage, Alaska.
If you create a document in SimWord® (SimIndiana's word processor), you do not have to save it to a disk or to a computer's hard drive. With SimIndiana, you have the option to save your document in your virtual drive on the SimIndiana server.
It's simply a glorified virtual hard disk service, paid for by the government.
What are the TOS?
I wonder what's going to happen the first time they start to lose their users' data? Do you sue the government knowing that the settlement will just be funded by charging the comsumer (ie the public) more?
I'm sure we'll be able to trust Indiana as an honest player. People gripe about Google scanning your email, but other seem to think that the government should store their files for them?
(former Indiana resident for 4 years during college)
...heard of this. I, too, would love to trust my state government with my important docs. After all, we all know they handle our property taxes soooo well.
Don't be a looter...and yes, I know that it's spelled with an "A" instead of an "E".
Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
I really wish people would make Microsoft keep its own monopoly instead of helping them by making IE only or Windows only stuff. They could've at least given the protocol so that if somebody with a Mac or something else wanted to could make their own.
Really, I thought government was supposed to be generally non-discriminatory. It's like "Congrats! We have a super-duper new highway system. Oh, only Ford motor vehicles can use it."
Was it Regan who said, ``Government does what doesn't need to be done, poorly''?
The last bits of the article report that the system is just a 2 year trial, with possible extension. What happens at that time? Your materials will magically disappear? Thousands of warnings get sent out that you miss, and next thing you know, you life's work, written in SimWord, which can only be opened by SimWord, is gone forever? Even if you have the file, you have no license to SimWord to open it? This is like trusting any of the other dot-com gimmicks that came and went in the past 10 years. Where is the mp3.com archive today? What about Hotmail suddenly closing accounts? What if it is a SimIndiana account, and you had all your financial reports on there?
This is just too freaking dangerous to be more then just a handy accessory, but how many people will take it seriously?
-Patrick
"They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
From the system requirements:
"TCP/IP (Internet Connection required for installation); 56 Kbps or higher modem (128 Kbps ISDN or better recommended)."
Considering most of Indiana is rural and those living in those areas with internet connectiions are still using 56K dial-up, this could be a big stumbling block to geeting SimIndiana off the ground.
My parents and MIL live in a rural area of Indiana and even though they have 56k modems the phone line quality is so poor that 29.2kbps is the best they can get.
This State of Indiana and STI have a three year contract for STI to provide the Services and Software to city residents; however, the State of Indiana has the right to terminate this contract earlier. Therefore, any data, files or other information You store on an STI server may be deleted if the contract between STI and the State of Indiana is terminated or when it expires, if not sooner. STI cannot guarantee that You will be warned before Your data, files, email, content, or other information is deleted. (emphasis mine)
Let me get this straight: after they've got the citizens of Indiana using this system for 3 years, they'll be able to blackmail the state from ever terminating the contract. Wow....
> People gripe about Google scanning your email, but other seem to think that the government should store their files for them?
I can't vote to oust the CEO of Google.
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