Source Code Dispute in Boston's Big Dig

JoshuaDFranklin writes "Boston's 'Big Dig' is famously long-running and over budget as noted before on Slashdot. But now Computerworld is reporting that a Software Ownership Battle Adds $10M to Cost of 'Big Dig'. The legal dispute was over whether Massachusetts had the right to share Transdyn source code with Honeywell, causing $2.72 million in damages and $7.2 million in costs of a four-month delay in the project."

Comments

Re:My Rights OnSubwayLine

[Anonymous Coward]

Read the FAQ!

Slashdot seems to be very Boston-centric. Do you have any plans to be more U.S.-centric in scope?

Slashdot is Boston-centric. We readily admit this, and really don't see it as a problem. Slashdot is run by Bostonians, after all, and the vast majority of our readership is in the Boston area. We're certainly not opposed to doing more stories about other cities, but we don't have any formal plans for making that happen. All we can really tell you is that if you're outside the Boston area and you have news, submit it, and if it looks interesting, we'll post it.

Re:For those of us who don't live near Boston

[DataCannibal]

So, it's a bit like software development. then?

Re:this is so miniscule compared to total cost- Fp

[Anonymous Coward]

(any geek here with a tunnel in his backyard?)

"/me puts tinfoil hat on and raises hand"

Re:It seems...

[Rhino3047]

I thought overspending on IT (or any other services, for that matter) by the government was just a way to circumvent EU state-support regulations?

Re:For those of us who don't live near Boston

[Associate]

Why don't they just knock Boston down and then build the highway?

You Know The Tune

[Anonymous Coward]

Now all you citizens of Boston, don't you think it's a scandal
How the people have to pay and pay
Fight the price increase, go with Open Source Software
Get the Big Dig back under way!

Or else they'll never return, no they'll never return
And their fate is still un-learned
They'll be stuck forever by red lights in Boston
They're the folk who never returned

Re:this is so miniscule compared to total cost- Fp

[nathanh]

(any geek here with a tunnel in his backyard?)

"/me puts tinfoil hat on and raises hand"

That would be a tinfoil hard hat, right?

/me wonders if the canary also has a tinfoil hat.

Re:My Rights OnSubwayLine

[cpt kangarooski]

Okay, I suppose that in a highly technical sense, there is Worcester, but yeah, does it _really_ count? I don't think so.

Worcester's basically the place that mothers tell their kids about to make them eat their vegetables or whatever. And it's not an interesting place.

Certainly I think we can all agree that there's nothing further out, that the cosmos more or less ends at 495 except for Worcester which is sort of barely attached by 9 and the Pike.

Re:A scam from the beginning

[Anonymous Coward]

Furthermore, since Massachusetts pay $1.21 to the USA in income taxes for every $1 the USA spends in Massachusetts, I feel as if the other 49 states "owed" us the Big Dig.

"The federal government owes us money."

"What shall we do with it?"

"Let's throw it in a big hole."

Sounds reasonable.

Re:Huge Waste

[Altus]

yes... canning it now would be dumb... its practically finished.

The plumbing and sewer infrastructure upgrade was sorely needed. I remember a few years ago there was a water main break in boston and when they dug it up the found the pipe that broke was made of wood.

wood.

as in hundreds of years old... made of wood...

yea... maybe we should upgrade those.

and the sewer system has needed an overhaul for years. the way the storm drains and residential drains are linked together causes massive pollution of the boston harbor whenever there is a heavy rain storm. these things are far overdue.

Re:A scam from the beginning

[La0tsu]

"At least it would teach us a lesson."

Yes: Never listen to you when it comes to money.