Comments on: the beat goes on http://www.chickyog.net/2006/04/04/the-beat-goes-on/ The weblog of Brighton-based writer Justin McKeating Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:03:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Julian Todd http://www.chickyog.net/2006/04/04/the-beat-goes-on/comment-page-1/#comment-3074 Julian Todd Wed, 05 Apr 2006 20:15:27 +0000 http://www.chickyog.net/2006/04/04/the-beat-goes-on/#comment-3074 It's like this. If you hire builders and they make a mess of your house, it's as if you have to hire more builders from the same company to clean up the mess. Companies are in it for the money, and the way the contracts are written, they make more money the more of a mess they make of it. If, say, the government insisted that the software was owned by them or open source, then they could get rid of one lot and get in a new lot to carry on where the other ones left off. Because that would be a legitimate threat, they'd get better performance from the contractors. It’s like this. If you hire builders and they make a mess of your house, it’s as if you have to hire more builders from the same company to clean up the mess. Companies are in it for the money, and the way the contracts are written, they make more money the more of a mess they make of it.

If, say, the government insisted that the software was owned by them or open source, then they could get rid of one lot and get in a new lot to carry on where the other ones left off. Because that would be a legitimate threat, they’d get better performance from the contractors.

]]> By: The Moai http://www.chickyog.net/2006/04/04/the-beat-goes-on/comment-page-1/#comment-3054 The Moai Wed, 05 Apr 2006 09:29:28 +0000 http://www.chickyog.net/2006/04/04/the-beat-goes-on/#comment-3054 We now have only three defences against these infernal cards left. Government IT incompetence, emigration, or clogging the system with new passport applications (although they are even clamping down on your right to <a href="http://kalaharilighthouse.blogspot.com/2006/04/youll-have-one-whether-you-bloody-well.html" rel="nofollow">get a new passport</a>.) We now have only three defences against these infernal cards left. Government IT incompetence, emigration, or clogging the system with new passport applications (although they are even clamping down on your right to get a new passport.)

]]> By: Katherine http://www.chickyog.net/2006/04/04/the-beat-goes-on/comment-page-1/#comment-3053 Katherine Wed, 05 Apr 2006 08:42:51 +0000 http://www.chickyog.net/2006/04/04/the-beat-goes-on/#comment-3053 I'm not sure whether this is supposed to show that governments are crap at spending public money or that private companies are crap at doing what they are supposed to do with public money. Or are we just all in the crap? I’m not sure whether this is supposed to show that governments are crap at spending public money or that private companies are crap at doing what they are supposed to do with public money. Or are we just all in the crap?

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