Comments on The Chrome Documents: Department of Natural Resources rejects open sourc...

"To convert to new software would be a very time c...

2009-04-28T05:15:00.000-07:00

"To convert to new software would be a very time consuming and expensive undertaking – technical staff would have to learn how to manage the new software and make sure there weren’t incompatibilities with existing applications and services, and agency staff would have to learn all new software for word processing, spreadsheets, and the rest of the desktop and server based productivity software they use. Then we would have to make sure that we were reasonably compatible with the rest of the state and our constituents."

Unlike the writer of the FUD scare tactic rhetoric in quotes, I have a more precise counter: Switching to a free software that performs almost exactly like Microsoft Office Suite should not wreck the communications norms of state government. I worked for Microsoft as a contract engineer, using OpenOffice to open my Microsoft boss's spreadsheets, I would add data to the spreadsheets, and email back to them. The documents were then sent on to other tech teams. There was never a moment of incompatibility in the two pieces of software.

As our economy shifts to a less consumerist paradigm, and tax income for the state shifts to a smaller footprint, managers within gov achieving more on less is not an option. It is, rather, a fitness test of our time. This fitness test is nothing like the Reagan Era attempt to simply diminish gov, for in the current fitness test voters like myself want gov and its services to remain strong. Strong while living on a smaller tax income.

If managers misperceive the current fitness test as a mandate to shrink services for citizens, while maintaining their internal organizational norms, their whole edifice faces extinction.

Yeah, I agree. All I've seen here shows that mana...

2009-04-27T23:04:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I agree. All I've seen here shows that management's reaction has been to try to drag Josh's name through the mud. Josh is following the established paths and protocols, while DNR management is trying to cover/hide/destroy those paths to make his journey more difficult (or, if they have it their way, impossible).

Let's say I, a private citizen with no ties to government, began lobbying our elected officials? Would you call me a trouble maker as well? I personally think Josh is doing his civic duty in taking DNR management to task. If more people in government jobs would do this, our government would be far better.

Lord Rybec

Interesting perspective. I'm open for some facts i...

2009-04-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

Interesting perspective. I'm open for some facts if you care to present them but won't engage in reciprocating this kind of response.

The facts stand as they are. This management team has not changed the way they do business to attain sustainable savings. Whatever results are achieved will be temporary.

As for education etc. That's exactly how I first approached this. I sent a number of statistics and resources to both Pat Gebhardt and Lenny Young. Pat responded by calling me a troublemaker, Lenny never responded at all. This was not a sign of a management team interested in new ways to save money.

So I did what I felt should come next. I contacted our elected officials and executive management responded to this by accusing me of lobbying.

This isn't about my approach. This is about how managers should behave and most people I've spoken with agree.

Josh- you are looking more like a whiner than a pr...

2009-04-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

Josh- you are looking more like a whiner than a progressive with each succesive post. True change is gained via intellegent dialogue, not by dragging our bosses thru the mud.

Quit your bitchin'.

in case you care, pat has also received copies of ...

2009-04-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

in case you care, pat has also received copies of everything that you have received from public disclosure

WTF... You are a brazen balled monkey. Whining ab...

2009-04-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

WTF... You are a brazen balled monkey. Whining about all this shows me that you really don't know about how to change government. Rather you're just pissing them off, dumba$$. I suggest you go back to the drawing board, and try to re-educate gov't on what OSI really is and how it can help, rather than try to portray them as fools. Your 'holier than thou' approach will actually set the OSI movement back farther cuz it gives them something to rally against. Movements in the world succeed thru education, demonstration, conversion, not thru rude and blazen attacks on individuals. I was starting to succeed, but now they're all concerned with your crap. Grow up, shut up, and get smart dumba$$.