[ale] [OT] AJC Article on State Welfare System

[Joseph A. Knapka]

"James P. Kinney III" wrote:
> 
> The only disadvantage I see to the adding PHP to the Apache-Zope mix is
> more server overhead. Since uses python, which the more I use the more I
> like, it already has a native logic/glue processor. Especially for a
> quasi-static template project such as this (can't go changing the
> screens around much. The staff won't follow the changes very well) PHP
> would be mostly unneeded overhead.

Agreed, PHP does seem redundant.

> The big hassle with this project is precisely the bureaucratic inertia
> that Irv  has been warning about. Anything written has to be written not
> for technical reasons of efficiency, but for bureaucratic reasons of
> back-scratching and butt-kissing. The system has to support an
> administration process that more resembles marbles bouncing in the back
> of a pick-up truck on a dirt road than any deliberate, methodical
> process designed by an engineering team. For political reasons, systems
> are co-managed (shudder) by multiple groups with different agendas.

So you need two separate organizations, within the same
company: Section A, whose only job is to interface with gov't
agencies and *look as if* it's doing actual development
work, but which is really just shuffling papers and
playing Tetris while waiting for Section B, an independent
entity completely insulated from the govt clients,
to actually build a working system. Section A and
Section B don't talk to each other, except over beer
after hours. The Section B folks talk directly to
case workers to discover the real requirements of
the system. Everything the govt bigwigs feed to
Section A goes directly into the circular file, unless
it can be used "defensively," so to speak - y'know,
blackmail material or whatever.

BTW, I volunteer for the grueling Tetris-playing
position.

-- Joe
  "I'd rather chew my leg off than maintain Java code, which
   sucks, 'cause I have a lot of Java code to maintain and
   the leg surgery is starting to get expensive." - Me

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