Government IT is crushing research and innovation
The changes in IT policy are causing huge losses of productivity by research within NASA, and I suspect government agencies in general. What is coming in the future looks even worse. I am an expert type user of computers for high performance research computing, but in one-two person research effort. I observe most NASA IT systems are focused on accounting and management users, usually with limited IT expertise. Research ...more »
The changes in IT policy are causing huge losses of productivity by research within NASA, and I suspect government agencies in general. What is coming in the future looks even worse.
I am an expert type user of computers for high performance research computing, but in one-two person research effort. I observe most NASA IT systems are focused on accounting and management users, usually with limited IT expertise. Research users often need much more performance and in-depth machine control to accomplish their work. They are often highly computer competent. As a consequence research work is harmed, even crushed, by IT that does nothing with research customers in mind.
I have to add, even at the risk of offending, that the adoption of Microsoft as the OS of choice is costing the government hugely in dollars and lost performance even for its office worker. Microsoft has never developed its OS with a security and performance first mindset, their public pronouncements every few years notwithstanding. That alone has driven many extreme IT policies. Other far better OS options exist for security, functionality, and stimulation of innovation in computing.
This would be a long discussion to share all the facts behind my view. I invite that.
I recently was able to surface this difficulty to my NASA center director and it turns out every division in the center, including management and accounting, felt IT policy was crushing their ability to do their job.
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