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Software development as civic service
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Ben Balter
October 23, 2014
Technology
3
330
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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Transcript
! 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
! Where we are How we got there Why we
shouldn’t be there What you can do to help get us out
! Where we are (everything you don’t want to know
about how government works)
! People | Process | Product
! People
The way we approach technology
The way (some) agencies approach technology
Agency workflow Policy Executive Program manager COTR CO OGC Project
Manager Developers Designers Compliance Sales (subcontractors) CISO SAOP 508 Government Contractor
! What’s missing?
Open Source workflow User need Developer Designer UX Ship
! Process
Open Source tools Version Control Git Project Management GitHub, Pivotal
Tracker, etc. Methodology Lean/Agile Deliverable Repository
Government tools Version Control Email Project Management Email Methodology Just
get it done Deliverable CD-ROM (in triplicate)
None
! Product
Open source technologies OS Linux Server Apache Database MySQL Language
PHP Framework WordPress/Drupal
Government technologies OS Windows Server IIS Database MSSQL Language ASP.net
Framework Umbraco
“Enterprise-grade solutions”
! Less technical expertise Less user focus Less tooling
! How we got there (a.k.a why doesn’t the government
use open source)
! Platform | Publishing | Procurement
! Using open source platforms
F.U.D
Government-specific requirements
Dedicated Sales Teams
Reinventing the wheel
! Publishing open source code
Workflow
Risk-averse culture
Command and Control culture
Transparency as a Liability
! Procuring open source resources
None
None
None
! “Why change now? It’s worked for three decades!”
! Closed source platform Uphill battle to publish Procurement by
habit
! Why we shouldn’t be there (or what government can
learn from open source)
! Source | Data | Government
! Open source (code)
None
None
None
None
None
None
! Open Data
None
None
None
! Open Government
None
None
None
! These are the exception not the rule. (for now)
None
None
None
! Take open source workflows Apply them to code, data,
law
! What you can do to help (unless, of course,
you hate freedom)
None
! People | Process | Product
! Product
Open source hobbyists
Open source suits
! Process
Trolls Open source
Open source welcome
Open source hand holding
! People
Open source Education
Closed source as a political liability
! Serious products Low-risk processes People who get it
Where we are
How we got there
Why we don’t want to be there
What you can do to help
What you can do to help
What you can do to help
! 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