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Trump is Launching a New Tech Group To 'Transform and Modernize' the US Govt (recode.net)

President Donald Trump announced on Monday he has signed an executive order creating a new technology council to "transfer and modernize" the U.S. government's IT systems. From a report: The gathering is part of a new effort, called the American Technology Council, commissioned by Trump in an executive order signed this morning. The effort seeks to bring leading government officials together with Silicon Valley's top minds in order to "transform and modernize" the aging federal bureaucracy "and how it uses and delivers information." Trump isn't the first sitting U.S. president to look to Silicon Valley in an attempt to bring government into the digital age. His predecessor, former President Barack Obama, similarly launched efforts like the U.S. Digital Service, which the administration billed at the time as a "startup at the White House" that sought to pair tech experts with federal agencies that needed help. Over 20 technology chief executives will attend meetings at the White House in early June to talk about improving government information technology, the report adds.

12 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. Nerd Harder! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This will be where they implement the backdoors that aren't....

  2. Let the filling of the Feeding Trough begin by gtall · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Said the CEO of Oracle: what ya need there is a collection of giant databases...and cloud, let there be cloud
    Said the CEO of Microsoft: what ya need there is a PC or MS compatible computing thing on every desk...and cloud, let there be cloud
    Said the CEO of Apple: what ya need there is a collection of iThings for instant communication...errr..with the cloud, let there be cloud
    Said the CEO of IBM: what ya need there is a Watson AI Cloudy Thingy in every agency...more cloud for every one
    etc.
    etc.
    etc.

  3. A "royal" regime by evolutionary · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Trump's idea of a "modern government" is medieval: put all your family and friends into key positions as much as possible and hope you can run it like a monarchy. problem is the family has no real qualifications in national or international politics. So this will be fun, fun, fun.

    --
    "Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Einstein
    1. Re:A "royal" regime by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Some of Trump's other ways to "modernize" government, based on recent statements and actions:

      1. Libel laws should be adjusted making it illegal to mock or contradict the US President.

      2. Laws on disclosure, conflicts of interest, or dealings with foreign powers should be repealed.

      3. Any news organization determined to be promulgating Fake News as determined by the Chief Executive or the Ministry of Truth should be shut down. In the spirit of item #1, this includes annoying venues such as the Onion or Saturday Night Live.

      4. Any scientifically-measured data that does not uphold the statements of the President or his duly appointed relatives/cronies should be tagged as Fake News and treated as outlined in item #3.

      5. Any laws of nature deemed inconvenient to the President or his duly appointed relatives/cronies should be summarily repealed.

    2. Re:A "royal" regime by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      So you're whining about two positions, his daughter and son-in-law, that could be questionable out of five million? It's really hard to take you people seriously.

      Congress passed an anti-nepotism law after JFK appointed his brother to attorney general to prevent future administrations from appointing family members to positions in the government. Just like most reform laws from the last 50 years, Trump is ignoring that one too.

      http://time.com/4574971/donald-trump-transition-jared-kushner-legal-anti-nepotism-law/

      It's really hard to take you people seriously.

      If Hillary was POTUS and she appointed Chelsea as a special adviser, the Republicans would be screaming for impeachment.

  4. Re:Please don't move to public cloud. by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I worry about government use of modified public cloud services. We should ban government from using pure cloud solutions because the companies can hold the government hostage with the "big off switch". The gov needs to control the DataCenters that run the operations that citizens rely on.

    And so we should continue to host internally on IIS servers using Access and Visual Basic front ends?

    Next, you'll be advocating we keep COBOL.

    Or Lotus Notes.

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    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  5. Re:Jared? by Joce640k · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yep. The problem isn't that the government isn't "digital" enough, the problem is that it's run by people who wouldn't recognize the scientific method if it was served to them on a plate with a sprig of parsley on top.

    If he goes to Silicon Valley all he'll find is a bunch of people who want to sell him a lot of useless new computers+software under a lucrative government contract.

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    No sig today...
  6. It should be easy by Rastl · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Just like fixing healthcare and the tax code revising the entire IT infrastructure for the federal government should be easy right?

  7. How will that help by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If 1% of the people that voted for Hillary donate $50/month, then every democrat running for congress or the senate in 2018 will get about $1 million.

    Hillary outspent Trump about 10-1 and still lost.

    So plainly the notion that money is the absolute determinant in politics is false.

    Given the Democrats penchant for blowing money or horrifically inept candidates, why would you continue to be such an enabler? What makes you think Democrats will change for the better if you keep funding the corrupt organization of the past, the kind that hand-picked Hilary over Sanders?

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  8. Re:Coincidence? Probably not. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah, that whole healthcare thing was clearly just the left chanting "racist, sexist, misogyny."

    Ditto for pulling the US economy out of the real estate crash. And repealing "don't ask, don't tell." And banning enhanced interrogation. And opening diplomatic relations with Cuba after 50 years. And the Opening Doors program that reduced homelessness among veterans by almost 50%. And putting ITT out of business and ending decades of exploitation of students. And improving school food nutrition standards.

    Yes, the left spends a lot of time chanting about racism, sexism and misogyny. Perhaps if the right stopped being a bunch of racist, sexist, misogynists, the left would have time to tackle other issues. Until then, we aren't going to shut up and we will keep calling you out and exposing your behavior.

  9. Misread that by AdamThor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Uh, "Transform and Modernize", or "Transfer and Monetize"?

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    -- "Oh. This guy again."
  10. Re:Coincidence? Probably not. by Gr8Apes · · Score: 5, Insightful

    TBH, this is another "Trump is evil" post

    Nah, nothing of the sort. I see no use of polarizing terms, even.

    This is why 1/2 of America doesn't take the whiny left seriously any more. The left has no ideas left, and all they have is "RACIST, SEXIST, MISOGYNY" chants and rioting.

    I think this is why more than 1/2 of america strongly dislikes Trump (and his blind supporters) Being divisive and using polarizing terms and assigning imaginary actions to those not marching to the cliff with you does not make for a conversation starter. You might want to check your meds.

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    The cesspool just got a check and balance.