CFPB recently announced one of the most progressive open source policies in the US government. They reiterated the current OMB and DOD guidance by making open source commercial software, but they also went one step further: code they write is open by default. I am totally impressed. CFPB CIO Chris Willey and his acting deputy … Continue reading Consumer Financial Protection Board Grows the Pie
Category: What I’m Thinking About
Big and small things I’m working on.
Why I’m not on Facebook
If Tom decides to share his own work history with the world, that’s Tom’s business. Imagine he decides to go job hunting. He puts together his resumé and shares it with a headhunter. I think we all expect that he is not supposed to take all of his friends’ resumés and hand them to the … Continue reading Why I’m not on Facebook
On the quality of journalism in my industry
Word is out that Regina Dugan is leaving her post as director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to sign on with the empire of search-engine giant Google. But it looks like an ongoing Defense Department Inspector General’s office audit of DARPA contracts and conflict-of-interest policies will continue. Thank you, Charles S. Clark of … Continue reading On the quality of journalism in my industry
Terrified of my heart.
Lord Marbury on cold remedies
Lord Marbury: You know, there are some marvelous flu remedies known in the certain remote parts of the subcontinent. Licorice root, for instance, combined with bamboo sap and a strong shot of whiskey. Ginger root, also, mixed with, uh, citrus peel. Bartlett: And a strong shot of whiskey? Lord Marbury: Actually, you can leave everything … Continue reading Lord Marbury on cold remedies
Why IT Consolidation Isn’t Even Close to Doomed
You may already be familiar with my ongoing frustration with Andrea DiMaio, and his relentless effort to ensure that government IT staff around the world is afraid of failure, change, and the future. This pessimism, especially coming from Gartner, contributes to the culture of conservatism and risk-aversion that confounds the same reforms he claims to … Continue reading Why IT Consolidation Isn’t Even Close to Doomed
NIST SP 800-53r4 now in draft
We finally have a draft NIST SP 800-53r4. My lord, this is taking forever. For good reason, but... still. It's to be finalized in July, with comments on this draft due to sec-cert@nist.gov by April 6th. Here are the highlights, in their words since I haven't had a chance to read it myself: Clarification of security … Continue reading NIST SP 800-53r4 now in draft
Defensive software patent pool expands at OIN
The Open Innovation Network is a kind of NATO for companies who use Linux. IBM, Red Hat, Sony, and others pool their patents together, and if any one of them is attacked for infringement, they can use all the patents in the pool to defend themselves. Last week, they added 700 projects to the pool, … Continue reading Defensive software patent pool expands at OIN
Orwell’s Advice
A classic. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. Never use a long word where a short one will do. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. Never use the passive where you can use the active. Never … Continue reading Orwell’s Advice
So now I have to walk through walls.
But the best is getting people to believe what you want them to believe, and if people really fundamentally believe what you want them to believe, they will walk through walls. They will do anything. People certainly know what to think at Red Hat. We also believe in our open, transparent culture, and so everybody … Continue reading So now I have to walk through walls.
a technology job is no excuse 