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Unsung, Unpaid Coders Behind Federal IT Dashboard

Posted by Soulskill on from the where-credit-is-due dept.

theodp writes "The Federal CIO got a standing ovation for the new Federal IT Dashboard. Federal contractors got the cash. But sneak a peek at the 'customcode' directory behind the Dashboard, and you'll see that some individuals also helped bring it to life with their free software. For starters, there's Timothy Groves' Auto Suggest (Creative Commons License), Alf Magne Kalleland's Ajax Tooltip and Dynamic List (GNU Lesser General Public License), and Gregory Wild-Smith's Simple AJAX Code-Kit (SACK) (modified X11 License)."

6 of 99 comments (clear)

  1. And isn't this the point? by hattig · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A good example of how free, open source, software benefits everyone.

    The submission reads like it's different, and that other people have garnered the ovations for these people's work, but the work is in enabling technology, frameworks. Much like Sun doesn't get an ovation or money when a successful Java project is deployed, I fail to see how this is different.

    Nice for the coders to get some recognition however.

    1. Re:And isn't this the point? by Old97 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Precisely and the Fed CIO and other leaders who were wise enough to support/allow the sensible decisions to use FOSS deserve some kudos if for no other reason than to encourage more of the same. The Federal bureaucracy tends to be risk adverse and in many areas have shied away from open source and free software. Their system integrators (I used to work for one) did as well. All that is changing and that's a good thing. Now that I work for a private sector company I can point to the Fed's use of FOSS as evidence that we can trust it and rely on it. Our executives still want to give sacks of cash to vendors like IBM and Microsoft, but in the current economy they've become more receptive.

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      Very often, people confuse simple with simplistic. The nuance is lost on most. - Clement Mok
    2. Re:And isn't this the point? by hattig · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It was their choice to release their code under an open source license.

      I presume that like most good coders, they'll have a decently paying job that is already putting food on the table.

      If they wanted to make money from this work, they could have chosen a different license that was more restrictive. They could be offering support or other services for it.

  2. This is great! by mrjb · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Less tax payers money being wasted. Also, part of releasing your code under a liberal license is that you permit others to use it free of charge under certain conditions. This happened, and those conditions were fulfilled. Quite a nice win for open source- What more do you want?

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    Visit http://ringbreak.dnd.utwente.nl/~mrjb/growingbettersoftware to download your free copy of the book
  3. In other news... by MoeDrippins · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... people developing applications often use libraries that have already been written.

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    Before you design for reuse, make sure to design it for use.
  4. !stealing by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Whoever tagged this story as "stealing" doesn't understand Free Software. The Federal CIO deserves extra credit for properly understanding and using it. Which, in turn, promotes it in the most powerful way.

    Remember that the Feds have given away more software and other tech than any other single source. Including the Internet itself, and indeed jumpstarting computers, microprocessors, and even universal telephone service. Your tax dollars at work - in a way that private industry cannot claim. Events that have changed the world into a much freer place, both for software and for everything else.

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    make install -not war