Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Are Shuttered Gov't Sites Actually Saving Money?

Posted by timothy on from the buy-this-magazine-or-we'll-shoot-this-dog dept.

Lots of U.S. government agencies' websites are partly or fully shut down, many of them with messages like this one, from the front page of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory: "Effective 7 p.m. EDT, Friday, 4 October 2013, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) temporarily suspended all US operations because of the US Federal government shutdown. All NRAO facilities and buildings are closed; NRAO personnel, other than a skeleton crew, are on furlough and cannot respond to emails or phone calls." Brian Doherty argues at Reason that many of these shutterings don't actually seem to make any financial sense, and that the sites are down more as a public statement than out of fiscal prudence. If you're involved with running an organizational web site (government-funded or not), do you agree?

4 of 668 comments (clear)

  1. Re:No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    You misspelled Democrats. You know, the racists who championed slavery, segregation, and current policies that weaken black families.

  2. Well obviously. by argStyopa · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    It's government THEATER.

    "Closing" the WW2 memorial? It's an OPEN AIR MONUMENT. I've been there several times and never seen a park service employee. But simply stopping trash pickup or whatever wouldn't "make a statement about how bad those dirty Republicans are."

    Closing Mount Vernon? IT'S NOT EVEN GOVERNMENT OWNED - it's privately owned. They share parking space with the NPS, but again, not serviced by staff anyway.

    Closing WW2 Cemeteries in Europe? Seriously?

    But the chattering masses suck it up because it's easier than accepting that they're being manipulated on such a grand scale, and the news media cheerfully bleats it everywhere.

    --
    -Styopa
  3. Re:"Financial Sense" by Sarius64 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Proving further that Obama has instructed jack-boot thugs to commit violence against our own citizens in order to have his way. What a great transparent administration.

  4. Re:"Financial Sense" by kwbauer · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Open your eyes and look around. Your "Savior" isn't out to make your life better, he is out to consolidate as much power as he can so it is easier for the next office holder to grab even more. Making your life a bit more painful while you look at all the good he is doing only helps him do that.