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Software development as civic service

Ben Balter
October 23, 2014

Software development as civic service

Why the government doesn’t use open source
(and why we need your help to change that)

Ben Balter

October 23, 2014
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  1. !
    Software development
    as civic service
    Why the government doesn’t use open source
    (and why we need your help to change that)
    Ben Balter
    government.github.com
    [email protected]

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  2. !
    Where we are
    How we got there
    Why we shouldn’t be there
    What you can do to help get us out

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  3. !
    Where we are
    (everything you don’t want to know about how government works)

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  4. !
    People | Process | Product

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  5. !
    People

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  6. The way we approach technology

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  7. The way (some) agencies
    approach technology

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  8. Agency workflow
    Policy
    Executive Program manager
    COTR
    CO OGC
    Project Manager
    Developers
    Designers
    Compliance
    Sales
    (subcontractors)
    CISO
    SAOP
    508
    Government
    Contractor

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  9. !
    What’s missing?

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  10. Open Source workflow
    User
    need
    Developer
    Designer
    UX
    Ship

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  11. !
    Process

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  12. Open Source tools
    Version Control Git
    Project Management GitHub, Pivotal Tracker, etc.
    Methodology Lean/Agile
    Deliverable Repository

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  13. Government tools
    Version Control Email
    Project Management Email
    Methodology Just get it done
    Deliverable CD-ROM (in triplicate)

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  15. !
    Product

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  16. Open source technologies
    OS Linux
    Server Apache
    Database MySQL
    Language PHP
    Framework WordPress/Drupal

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  17. Government technologies
    OS Windows
    Server IIS
    Database MSSQL
    Language ASP.net
    Framework Umbraco

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  18. “Enterprise-grade solutions”

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  19. !
    Less technical expertise
    Less user focus
    Less tooling

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  20. !
    How we got there
    (a.k.a why doesn’t the government use open source)

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  21. !
    Platform | Publishing | Procurement

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  22. !
    Using open source platforms

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  23. F.U.D

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  24. Government-specific requirements

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  25. Dedicated Sales Teams

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  26. Reinventing the wheel

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  27. !
    Publishing open source code

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  28. Workflow

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  29. Risk-averse culture

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  30. Command and Control culture

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  31. Transparency as a Liability

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  32. !
    Procuring open source resources

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  36. !
    “Why change now?
    It’s worked for three decades!”

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  37. !
    Closed source platform
    Uphill battle to publish
    Procurement by habit

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  38. !
    Why we shouldn’t be there
    (or what government can learn from open source)

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  39. !
    Source | Data | Government

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  40. !
    Open source (code)

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  47. !
    Open Data

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  51. !
    Open Government

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  55. !
    These are the exception
    not the rule.
    (for now)

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  59. !
    Take open source workflows
    Apply them to code, data, law

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  60. !
    What you can do to help
    (unless, of course, you hate freedom)

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  62. !
    People | Process | Product

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  63. !
    Product

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  64. Open source hobbyists

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  65. Open source suits

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  66. !
    Process

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  67. Trolls
    Open source

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  68. Open source welcome

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  69. Open source hand holding

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  70. !
    People

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  71. Open source Education

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  72. Closed source as a political liability

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  73. !
    Serious products
    Low-risk processes
    People who get it

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  74. Where we are

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  75. How we got there

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  76. Why we don’t want to be there

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  77. What you can do to help

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  78. What you can do to help

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  79. What you can do to help

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  80. !
    Software development
    as civic service
    Why the government doesn’t use open source
    (and why we need your help to change that)
    Ben Balter
    government.github.com
    [email protected]

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