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US Air Force Chief Software Officer Quits - Slashdot[^]
He complains that unqaulified people are put in charge of projects. While that *is* true, the problem goes beyond just the managers. It happens at EVERY LEVEL.
When I got my current job (DoD contractor for an Air Force software project), we had a GS (civilian) employee occupying a programming seat that had NO EXPERIENCE WHATSOEVER as a programmer. She was a diversity hire, and had no interest in even learning how to write code. In the three years she was on the team, she made exactly zero check-ins into source control. Completely useless, yet she got paid for doing nothing because once you become a GS employee, it takes an actual act of Congress for you to be fired. Instead, you get shuffled off to yet another job you're probably not qualified to do, or even worse, you're promoted (again, into a position you're not qualified for).
It's maddening to watch projects go down in flames because of unqualified people filling positions all up and down the food chain. I've been a DoD contractor on and off since 1980, and it's always the same story.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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#realJSOP wrote: I've been a DoD contractor on and off since 1980, and it's always the same story
I hear you John. I was a defense contractor during the 80's. My complaints were two-fold. The first was similar to yours, so I won't repeat it. The second was I'd work on a project for months, we'd complete it, and it would be dumped down a hole never to be seen again. I remember reading an article at the time that claimed less than 2% of software written for the DoD was in active use 12 months after its completion.
Since 1990 I've been working in the commercial world. It has its downsides, but at least my stuff gets used.
Software Zen: delete this;
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Years ago, I used to work for the Dept. of Health and Human Services as a contractor.
Similar issue there as well. People getting paid very well for doing absolutely nothing all day, month, years.
The cancer has spread to all of Federal and State government agencies and offices. The prognosis is terminal.
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Seems in the military the browner the nose the higher and faster you rise. It has nothing to do with ability.
The less you need, the more you have.
Even a blind squirrel gets a nut...occasionally.
JaxCoder.com
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I did four years at CBP/DHS. Same story there.
An example. I had to stand by and watch a guy, who got paid about 50% more than what I made, struggle to build a new Windows Server and couldn't figure out how to set a static IP address, FROM A SCRIPT HE WAS FOLLOWING, complete with screenshots.
I was not allowed to help.
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I wonder if/how that position is different than any other lead position in any other department? If it's no different, then this guy was either a fool for excepting the position and should have left the military long ago, or he was just as incompetent? Sounds like he has a good head on his shoulders though so maybe he'll wind up on a congressional committee that can perhaps affect change.
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment
"Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst
"I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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#realJSOP wrote: Instead, you get shuffled off to yet another job you're probably not qualified to do, or even worse, you're promoted (again, into a position you're not qualified for).
That doesn't happen in the US or in the DoD... in Germany is done A LOT specially in big OEMs and in Functionary Jobs
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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I hear your pain but that it's not only a government disease. The small company I used to work for got acquired by a big corporation (after I left) because the CEO of the big corporation believed in "R&D through acquisitions". Needless to say, things didn't go well. Also, a friend told me IBM stands for "I've Been Moved" for the numerous reorganizations he had to go through.
I posit that inefficiencies are just a function of the size of an organization and government is a VERY big organization. In small shops things can be very smooth and efficient but once it starts growing, forget about that.
Worse: the inefficiencies do not grow linearly with organization's size. It's more like exponential growth. I seem to remember having even seen some kind of explanation for this. It has to do with the number of people that need to communicate with each other.
Mircea
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I have very little hope for this 10 gigadollar project Amazon and Microsoft have been battling over.
The very concept of a project of that magnitude going to the "lowest" bidder is just flabbergasting.
"They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul! Damn you! Let the rabbits wear glasses! Save our brothers! Can I get an amen?"
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The types of things you describe are some of the reasons I would never work for a government agency. I also have other reasons, but going into them isn't appropriate here.
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If it's any consolation - the same goes for every country... Government money is spent without any second thought on projects not needed and people not qualified...
One of the interesting things I try to deal with lately is IE. Yes - officially IE is the only browser got clearance to work with in all government offices we work with. But those offices purchased software that does not work with IE... As the main software provider we are to blamed (even we have nothing to do with the software choice or the software itself)...
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
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Microsoft is making previews of both Windows 10 21H2 and Windows 11 available to business customers for testing and validation ahead of their fall launches. Here's how to test these now. Find out how it breaks with your network before it gets on your network!
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"The enemy of my enemy is my enemy" - oops, got confused. It's just another Windows Update.
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Smart users know to hover over links to see where they're going to lead, but these links are prepared for that type of user and display a safe destination designed to lure targets into a false sense of security. Don't click the link: Part 341231987821787234b
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A bizarre and brilliantly effective optical illusion going viral on the internet tricks your brain into seeing a colour image… but if you look closer, you'll notice the photo you're staring at is only black and white. "You can colour my world with sunshine yellow each day!"
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"The sun's not yellow, it's chicken!"
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment
"Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst
"I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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Quote: "An over-saturated coloured grid overlaid on a grayscale image causes the grayscale cells to be perceived as having colour,"
Flood fill works better.
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In the 1960s, when Norwegian TV broadcasts were B/W only, the evening news report told of a new technology allowing colors to be transmitted even to B/W TV sets. However, the TV set would require dramatically more power to render the color image, so viewers would have to turn off ovens, hot water heaters and other significant consumers of electricity to experience it. Power companies saw a sudden drop in electricity consumption.
The next night, on April 2nd, power consumption was back to normal.
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Is it just me or is that just a black and white color picture with a colored grid?
Not seeing colors besides the grids 
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No, it's not just you that's exactly what I see.
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment
"Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst
"I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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The only one on that page that worked for me at all was he embedded video for the first ~2 seconds before it autoed up from low to high quality and the color went from smears to solid lines again. Replaying forced to 1080p from the start and it was a color grid on a B&W image again.
OTOH they almost worked when I tried opening the article on my phone. Each image there worked for a fraction of a second as I scrolled down (not sure if just smaller or "eyeball motion blur" effects); but after a brief period they all popped back to colored what-evers on a gray image. Which is how a lot of optical illusions don't work for me; the illusion appears for a half second or so before being rejected (maybe I've just seen too many?).
Putting my phone far enough away that the colored what-evers are barely perceptible did make it work full time (beyond arms length on my desk); but that's just running out of visual resolution. 
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
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Maybe the original photo is black and white, but what is presented here IS NOT. And my brain (using my old eyes) see no colors expect the overlay...
Maybe the science is to far behind...
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
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AI-assisted development can help ensure that code is clean, secure and bug-free. No one and everyone?
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Microsoft, a company with numerous military contracts, has brazenly admitted it intends to train an artificial intelligence agent to become “unbeatable” by humans in war simulations. Because they're really looking forward to playing the Hundred Years War campaign?
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