By: Bryan

Bryan — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:15:27 +0000

I had high hopes that we were going to get someone who actually understood tech reality and would make some moves to put us on the path to towards equality with the rest of the world in areas like broadband access and infrastructure modification.

Another political appointment for a professional position. I had wondered if that was finally ended after the Michael Brown/FEMA fiasco, but apparently not.

So, we still don’t have anyone who can write a RFP that will actually result in a successful product.

I remember back in the “big iron” days when “data processing” was always part of the finance department, and no one making buying decisions knew anything about IT. I always hoped that we would dump that model and move to something more realistic. They changed the titles, but not the hiring philosophies.

By: Badtux

Badtux — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:19:17 +0000

The dude had the right connections. Unfortunately, that’s how things work even here in private enterprise many times, like two employers back when my company hired a new VP of Engineering with impeccable references — he’d destroyed the engineering departments at multiple companies, leaving reeking garbage behind (the most famous of his destructions was Netscape Communications, he was the manager responsible for Netscape 4.x, the pile of reeking garbage that basically destroyed Netscape). But he’d gone to school with the right members of the Board of Directors and been VP of Engineering at the right companies to impress venture capitalists. Sigh.

I must admit being disappointed that the Obama administration turned to this kind of cronyism, but, alas, not particularly surprised. Sooner or later the art of practical politics requires handing out positions based on politics rather than merit. But couldn’t he have, like, given the guy the job of Ambassador to Tahiti or somethin’?!

– Badtux the Disappointed Penguin

Comments on: A Seinfeld Degree

By: Bryan

By: Badtux