Software development as civic service

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

Transcript

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 government@github.com
2. ! Where we are How we got there Why we shouldn’t be there What you can do to help get us out
3. ! Where we are (everything you don’t want to know about how government works)
4. ! People | Process | Product
5. ! People
6. The way we approach technology
7. The way (some) agencies approach technology
8. Agency workflow Policy Executive Program manager COTR CO OGC Project Manager Developers Designers Compliance Sales (subcontractors) CISO SAOP 508 Government Contractor
9. ! What’s missing?
10. Open Source workflow User need Developer Designer UX Ship
11. ! Process
12. Open Source tools Version Control Git Project Management GitHub, Pivotal Tracker, etc. Methodology Lean/Agile Deliverable Repository
13. Government tools Version Control Email Project Management Email Methodology Just get it done Deliverable CD-ROM (in triplicate)
15. ! Product
16. Open source technologies OS Linux Server Apache Database MySQL Language PHP Framework WordPress/Drupal
17. Government technologies OS Windows Server IIS Database MSSQL Language ASP.net Framework Umbraco
18. “Enterprise-grade solutions”
19. ! Less technical expertise Less user focus Less tooling
20. ! How we got there (a.k.a why doesn’t the government use open source)
21. ! Platform | Publishing | Procurement
22. ! Using open source platforms
23. F.U.D
24. Government-specific requirements
25. Dedicated Sales Teams
26. Reinventing the wheel
27. ! Publishing open source code
28. Workflow
29. Risk-averse culture
30. Command and Control culture
31. Transparency as a Liability
32. ! Procuring open source resources
36. ! “Why change now? It’s worked for three decades!”
37. ! Closed source platform Uphill battle to publish Procurement by habit
38. ! Why we shouldn’t be there (or what government can learn from open source)
39. ! Source | Data | Government
40. ! Open source (code)
47. ! Open Data
51. ! Open Government
55. ! These are the exception not the rule. (for now)
59. ! Take open source workflows Apply them to code, data, law
60. ! What you can do to help (unless, of course, you hate freedom)
62. ! People | Process | Product
63. ! Product
64. Open source hobbyists
65. Open source suits
66. ! Process
67. Trolls Open source
68. Open source welcome
69. Open source hand holding
70. ! People
71. Open source Education
72. Closed source as a political liability
73. ! Serious products Low-risk processes People who get it
74. Where we are
75. How we got there
76. Why we don’t want to be there
77. What you can do to help
78. What you can do to help
79. What you can do to help
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 government@github.com