Slashdot Mirror


Health Exchange Sites Crushed By Demand; Shutdown Blanks Other Gov't Sites

An anonymous reader writes "The launch of a national health exchange site was marred by overloaded servers in several states around the country. In a White House press conference, President Obama said that by 7 a.m., there were over a million users, and he likened the capacity problems to the glitches that Apple experienced after discovering bugs in their rlease of iOS 7. 'I don't remember anybody suggesting Apple should stop selling iPhones or iPads, or threatening to shut down company if they didn't,' the president argued." Meanwhile, a number government websites went blank as a result of the shutdown, instead of simply lying dormant until personnel could return. The National Science Foundation, NASA, the FCC, and the Library of Congress are a few examples.

11 of 565 comments (clear)

  1. Re:worst case of slashdot editing in a while? by antifoidulus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wht are you tlking about? Vowls are for chumps.

  2. Re:Ridiculous stunt by Spad · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So you stole cable TV all your life but the people working for the government are the parasites? Interesting interpretation.

  3. Re:ya, the IRS site is up and running by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The NSA, CIA, and the .mil adresses are all up.

    I actually find it pretty educational to see what our government conciders "essential" and what is not.

  4. Most "shutdowns" are completely unnecessary by EmagGeek · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The government is actually spending MORE money to close these resources than it is keeping them open.

    An example is the closure of the memorials in DC. Normally there might be one parks officer roaming around them, but under the closure, there are dozens of park police manning the barricades to ensure nobody can go see them.

    It's all political theater. The Administration (and don't get me wrong, I don't give a shit of an R or D is in the white house - they both would do the same thing) is doing today exactly what it did with the sequester - it's punishing the American people as much as it can.

    Most of the sequester cuts were planned in a way to have the greatest negative effect on people, and these closures are being executed in the same way. Government is not happy that it has lost it's money source, and it figures the only way to get it back is to go around kicking people in the face to get them to scream at the people who control the purse strings.

    It's despicable. Instead of doing their jobs and negotiating the best possible compromise between all interested parties, they've become a bunch of extremists (on both sides) who refuse to negotiate. It's "my way or the highway."

    Obama in particular ought to be ashamed of himself. He campaigned on a platform of unity and leadership, and he has exemplified NONE of it. In fact he's the biggest one going on national TV proclaiming with pride that he refuses to negotiate.

    Fire them all. Seriously. Every last despicable goddamn one of them.

    1. Re:Most "shutdowns" are completely unnecessary by smpoole7 · · Score: 5, Informative

      > Most of the sequester cuts were planned ... to have a negative impact.

      My wife works for the federal government, so I think I know a bit about what's going on. :)

      You are absolutely right. The fact is, during a "shutdown," the government can decide which employees are "essential" and which can be furloughed. My wife is considered "essential," so she WILL go to work. She just may not get paid on time if this thing drags on.

      Both parties are guilty of this: when there's a shutdown, they decide whom to send home, and they will inevitably play to their base(s) and try to get the public angry at the other party. It's all political theater. They ought to wear makeup and costumes. And really: is there any geek here who doesn't know how to leave a Web server running overnight or on weekends? :)

      Hey, it's not like they didn't know this has been coming MONTHS in advance, is it? And to REALLY cheer you up, remember that we have a debt ceiling debate coming up in a couple of weeks. How much you wanna bet this wink, wink "shutdown" will continue past THAT debate? :)

      --
      Cogito, igitur comedam pizza.
    2. Re:Most "shutdowns" are completely unnecessary by duke_cheetah2003 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      How can Obama possibly negotiate? Repubs are demanding he kick his grandest achievement to the curb or they won't negotiate. Sorry. Obama is the not the villain here.

  5. Re:ya, the IRS site is up and running by WWJohnBrowningDo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Excellet news! Maybe they'll finally take out all the trash inside Capitol Hill.

  6. Re:Here is the difference Mr. President by sandytaru · · Score: 5, Informative

    No, the current proposal from the GOP is to strip out funding for the ACA and replace it with "..." - they don't have alternate suggestions. That's the problem. Also, the Senate has been asking the House to have a joint budget conference since last May, but the House only thought that was a good idea on September 30th.

    --
    Occasionally living proof of the Ballmer peak.
  7. Re:Here is the difference Mr. President by dywolf · · Score: 5, Insightful

    so thats what, attempt number 512094 by the republicans to refight the same fight they've already lost?

    at what point do the republicans admit that in a democracy you sometimes have to accept defeat, accept that the opposition has won, and move on?

    what hte republicans are doing is NOT democracy, it is extortion.

    they have co-opted the democratic process, using the Hastert Rule to prevent the true majority in the house from having any say, so that a minority of the ruling party can dictate the agenda, creating a flase middle ground, in order to hold the country, its economy, indead hte worlds economy, hostage over a ideological battle that they cannot win and have already lost 50 seperate times.

    they have put the gun to all our heads, and are threatening to pull the trigger and blow us all to hell unless they get what they want.
    they are acting like spoiled children who have no inlking of what living in a democracy entails, who refuse to accept that they can be on the losing side.

    they have created their red line, and unlike the other recent one, they refuse to back down even though they will not only destroy themselves, but take everyone else down with them. and if they do this, it is the end of the republican party for the next 50 years or more; no one will touch them with a 10ft, indeed, 1000km pole.

    --
    The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
  8. Re:Here is the difference Mr. President by jareth-0205 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That is the current proposal from the GOP. The Senate and president are REFUSING to even talk to them about it.

    THE DISCUSSION IS OVER. The senate and president don't *need* to talk to the crazies because IT IS ALREADY A LAW. You've already had this debate.

    Or is this up for debate every year? Every time an already existing and passed law needs funding, but some disagree with it, the whole country can be held to ransom by those who disagree?

    You people make me sick. You ignore your own system, you are destroying your own government for fringe interests.

  9. Re:Bad Analogy by taiwanjohn · · Score: 5, Informative

    I assume the GP was referring to the fact that the ACA is based very closely on the Massachusetts healthcare plan signed into law by Gov. Romney in 2006. And he/she is correct in noting that a sizable chunk of people who "do not approve" of the ACA are actually disappointed because it didn't go far enough. Remember, nationwide, there was well over 70% support for the so-called "public option", but that got tossed out before the "discussion" even began.

    --
    XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve your problem, you're not using enough of it. --AC