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Is the Federal Government the Most Interesting Tech Startup For 2009?

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the get-stuff-done-czar dept.

With all of the recent focus on technology and the promises to continue "getting stuff done" by the US government, Techdirt's Masnick suggests that they might just be the most interesting tech startup to watch this year. "But, of course, talk is cheap (especially in politics). And, while Chopra (and Vivek Kundra, the government's CIO) both actually have a nice track record of accomplishing these sorts of goals in their past jobs, the proof is in what's actually getting done. We'd already mentioned at least one success story with the IT dashboard at USASpending.gov, but can it continue? I have to admit, a second thing that impressed me about Chopra was that, even with such a success, he didn't focus on it. The fact that he got together such a site in such a short period of time is impressive enough, and while he mentioned it in his talks, most of them were much more focused not on what he'd already done, but on what he was going to do — and the plans all seemed quite achievable.

10 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. No, it's the stupidest tech startup by winkydink · · Score: 4, Funny

    No competent tech startup would pay $18 million for recovery.org

    --

    "I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey

    1. Re:No, it's the stupidest tech startup by tvjunky · · Score: 2, Funny

      It could have been worse...

    2. Re:No, it's the stupidest tech startup by Reverend528 · · Score: 2, Funny

      ...unless they could get VCs to foot the bill.

      --
      Badass Resumes
    3. Re:No, it's the stupidest tech startup by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 4, Funny

      ...unless they could get VCs to foot the bill.

      Obama's smarter than you. He gets taxpayers to foot the bill.

    4. Re:No, it's the stupidest tech startup by CannonballHead · · Score: 5, Funny

      That just means the no-bid contracts will be going to their friends instead of those of the GOP.

      I do believe that that would fall under the definition of change.

  2. Stephenson's foresight by LogistX · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's the Government of the United States
    Where hackers go to die
    The largest, and yet the least efficient, producer of computer software in the world.

    1. Re:Stephenson's foresight by FlyingBishop · · Score: 2, Funny

      I think you have them confused with IBM.

  3. The most interesting tech startup... by ristonj · · Score: 5, Funny
    • They have software processes so convoluted, you need GPS navigation to make sense of them
    • They spend money on failing projects like it's going out of style
    • They once had a well managed project, just to see what it felt like

    Quite simply, the Federal Government is....The Most Interesting Tech Startup in the World!

  4. Re:Why the hell was the parent funny? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Your money? Some of that was mine, asshole!

  5. Re:Do NOT work for the government by OctaviusIII · · Score: 1, Funny

    "Reg: All right... all right... but apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order... what have the Romans done for us?
    Xerxes: Brought peace!
    Reg: (very angry, he's not having a good meeting at all) What!? Oh... (scornfully) Peace, yes... shut up!"

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    What's this? Another weblog? On transit?