[OT] Re: uk general election
On Wed, Apr 13, 2005 at 05:46:29AM -0400, Gene Heskett wrote:
> On Wednesday 13 April 2005 04:37, geoffthur@ntlworld.com wrote:
> >Dear Debs
> >
> >
> >I'm hoping to stand in the uk general election, although I've left
> > it a bit late and it might all fall through.
> >
> >Obviously, standing as an Independent I would have little chance of
> >winning. I need policies, preferably stuff that nobody else is
> > saying, but will strike people as making sense, and I need to
> > believe in them.
> >
> >One thing that matters to me is the state of the internet - spam,
> >cracking, organised crime and the like. Another is the way we
> > allocate contracts for large computer projects here. Let me tell
> > you about one such.
> >
> >The Child Support Agency was set up a while back to deal with
> > absentee fathers. In theory, it collects money from them and gives
> > it to the mother and child. In practice, this agency has added to
> > the distress of single mothers by coming up with apparently
> > randomly-generated support plans, some of which are way wide of the
> > mark. Even when the money is taken from the father, it sometimes
> > seems to end up in limbo, rather than getting to the mother. I
> > believe this agency has cost something like five hundred million
> > pounds to set up (I heard this figure quoted, but have not had time
> > to check its accuracy yet), most of this on computer systems that
> > are still ineffective. Apparently staff began entering wrong
> > information just to get claims processed. Some files were deleted
> > erroneously.
> >
> >This is just one of a string of failures in computer system
> > provision in the uk. The free market approach is a failure here. I
> > believe we should have an Agency for Computer System Provision, or
> > some such thing, paid by the taxpayer. A smallish group of
> > highly-skilled and well-paid programmers without businessmen
> > creaming off much of the cash.
>
> I'm in favor of a pool of talent scenario, where the talent can be
> fitted to the job, and the job directive is clearly set in this
> agencies regulations.
Yes, I see. It's not actually the contracting that's the problem here,
necessarily, then. It's the contracting again and again of companies
that have failed before. Instead having a pool of talent available to be
directly contracted by the Minister responsible for the project, and
making sure that they are highly motivated and paid enough to be
available when the next job comes up. Perhaps paid a retainer when not
specifically working on a project. That sort of thing.
>
> >So, what is the experience in other countries, please? Is this
> > something that is a problem everywhere? Do other countries contract
> > out on computer systems, or employ staff directly to implement
> > them? What is working, and what isn't?
>
> In my experience, (tv station, about 45 desktops & several servers)
> I've always found that the most usefull computer systems have all
> been configured and maintained in-house. In every case, farming it
> out has led to systems so tightly locked down (to reduce the
> contractors work time and resultant charges to maintain them) that
> they were effectively useless to the more savvy user. That is not
> productive use of any employees time in any situation.
>
> >On the internet side, what can I get away with saying about
> > Microsoft?
>
> Almost anything thats still truthfull I'd say. And that leaves a very
> wide field with lots of things to object too in the way M$ has
> attempted to establish a monopoly, often with one size fits all
> programs that in reality, don't fit any agency's needs all that well.
>
> > What should they be told to do, and how can we make them
> > do it? How far away are we from Linux systems for the less
> > computer-literate user?
>
> By competing with them at a level they must compete on or lose the
> whole deal.
>
> With the apps written in house according to the usage that agency
> needs, being 'computer literate' at the user level isn't that much of
> a requirement. The coder just needs to know to make it both user
> friendly, and to gently reject the obviously out of bounds entries
> inept operators may input.
Actually, with this part here I was thinking more of the home user.
Surely to improve the internet we need either to reform Microsoft's
behaviour or get more home users to shift. I only use Debian, and over
the eighteen months or so I've been here it already seems easier to set
up. Of course, that might just mean that I am slowly getting a grip over
parts of it. Installing a kernel-image, though, for instance - far
easier in sarge with grub than in woody with lilo.
>
> > I know there are often threads on this sort
> > of stuff here, but they tend to focus on how the individual should
> > respond. Can countries do more in this area?
>
> Certainly they can. There just needs to be a clear directive from the
> electorate to do it. And that translates into educating the
> electorate. Thats where you can get some serious traction I'd think.
>
> >I'm sorry if anybody thinks I shouldn't be bringing this here, but I
> >need help and expect some will be interested enough to comment. And
> > I'm a few days behind in reading my emails because of my sudden
> > decision to try to stand, so if there are relevent current threads
> > on any of this, please be gentle with me.
I should have thought to mark the thread OT first time round. Sorry
about that. And thanks for all the helpful comments, Gene.
> >
> >Cheers
> >
> >Geoff Thurman
>
> --
> Cheers, Gene
> "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
> soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
> -Ed Howdershelt (Author)
> 99.34% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly
> Yahoo.com and AOL/TW attorneys please note, additions to the above
> message by Gene Heskett are:
> Copyright 2005 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.
>
>
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