USA Politics
- Thread starter Genghis Khan
- Start date
Hey, I think sports players should be limited by the same rules CEOs should be limited by. The highest paid guy in the company should only be allowed to make a certain factor more than the lowest paid guy. So if the lowest paid guy makes minimum wage and it's, say, a factor of 400...well, you get the idea.
Travis The Dragon
AFTERGLOW!!!
I think professional sports players should be paid by how well they perform. Even the very best ones shouldn't get paid as much as they do. It's pathetic that they can get paid that much and have a horrible season. All it does is drive ticket prices up. But of course since most people here in America are sheep, they don't care and will pay those prices regardless. I wish people would completely boycott sporting events and major concerts that charge insane ticket prices as well. This type of greed has gotten way out of hand and it sure would be great to see it stopped.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
This explains a lot
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/07/us...anted=all&_r=0
Slowly They Modernize: A Federal Agency That Still Uses Floppy Disks
By JADA F. SMITH
December 6, 2013
WASHINGTON — The technology troubles that plagued the HealthCare.gov website rollout may not have come as a shock to people who work for certain agencies of the government — especially those who still use floppy disks, the cutting-edge technology of the 1980s.
Every day, The Federal Register, the daily journal of the United States government, publishes on its website and in a thick booklet around 100 executive orders, proclamations, proposed rule changes and other government notices that federal agencies are mandated to submit for public inspection.
So far, so good.
It turns out, however, that the Federal Register employees who take in the information for publication from across the government still receive some of it on the 3.5-inch plastic storage squares that have become all but obsolete in the United States.
Now government infrastructure experts are hoping that public embarrassments like the HealthCare.gov debacle will prompt a closer look at the government’s technological prowess, especially if it might mean getting rid of floppy disks.
“You’ve got this antiquated system that still works but is not nearly as efficient as it could be,” said Stan Soloway, chief executive of the Professional Services Council, which represents more than 370 government contractors. “Companies that work with the government, whether longstanding or newcomers, are all hamstrung by the same limitations.”
The use of floppy disks peaked in American homes and offices in the mid-1990s, and modern computers do not even accommodate them anymore. But The Federal Register continues to accept them, in part because legal and security requirements have yet to be updated, but mostly because the wheels of government grind ever slowly.
Davita Vance-Cooks, the head of the Government Printing Office, which prints The Federal Register and publishes it online, spoke at a congressional hearing on Wednesday about her department’s attempts to make its work remain relevant in a post-print world. Despite creating mobile apps, The Federal Register still requires agencies to submit information on paper, with original signatures, though they can create a digital signature via a secured email system.
Agencies are also permitted to submit the documents on CD-ROMs and floppy disks, but not on flash drives or SD cards. “The Federal Register Act says that an agency has to submit the original and two duplicate originals or two certified copies,” said Amy P. Bunk, The Federal Register’s director of legal affairs and policy. As long as an agency does that through one of the approved methods of transmission, she said, “they’ve met the statutory requirement.”
But the secure email system — which uses software called Public Key Infrastructure technology — is expensive, and some government agencies have not yet upgraded to it. As a result, some agencies still scan documents on to a computer and save them on floppy disks. The disks are then sent by courier to the register.
Ms. Bunk said that although many agencies did use the secure email system, The Federal Register could not require it until Congress made it compulsory by law.
“There are limits as to how far we can make the agencies do everything in lock step,” said Jim Bradley, the assistant public printer for the Government Printing Office. Federal budget cuts, he said, had helped slow down any modernization.
“We’ve got to accommodate the funding and everything else,” Mr. Bradley said. “Some agencies move forward with technology, and that’s great. Other agencies aren’t ready to go this year, maybe not next year.”
A spokesman for The Federal Register would not say which agencies still used floppy disks. But at The Register’s office, a modest space on North Capitol Street in sight of the Capitol dome, couriers were recently seen coming in and out as an employee pulled a floppy disk from one package and at least two CD-ROMs from others.
Meanwhile, experts say that an administration that prided itself on its technological savvy has a long way to go in updating the computer technology of the federal government. HealthCare.gov and the floppy disks of The Federal Register, they say, are but two recent examples of a government years behind the private sector in digital innovation.
Mr. Soloway, of the Professional Services Council, said that the government’s technology was also causing it to fall behind in cooperation with the private sector. “It’s undoubtedly inhibiting the expansion” of what corporations are willing to do with the government, Mr. Soloway said. “And it remains an inhibitor for the next generation of companies.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/07/us...anted=all&_r=0
Slowly They Modernize: A Federal Agency That Still Uses Floppy Disks
By JADA F. SMITH
December 6, 2013
WASHINGTON — The technology troubles that plagued the HealthCare.gov website rollout may not have come as a shock to people who work for certain agencies of the government — especially those who still use floppy disks, the cutting-edge technology of the 1980s.
Every day, The Federal Register, the daily journal of the United States government, publishes on its website and in a thick booklet around 100 executive orders, proclamations, proposed rule changes and other government notices that federal agencies are mandated to submit for public inspection.
So far, so good.
It turns out, however, that the Federal Register employees who take in the information for publication from across the government still receive some of it on the 3.5-inch plastic storage squares that have become all but obsolete in the United States.
Now government infrastructure experts are hoping that public embarrassments like the HealthCare.gov debacle will prompt a closer look at the government’s technological prowess, especially if it might mean getting rid of floppy disks.
“You’ve got this antiquated system that still works but is not nearly as efficient as it could be,” said Stan Soloway, chief executive of the Professional Services Council, which represents more than 370 government contractors. “Companies that work with the government, whether longstanding or newcomers, are all hamstrung by the same limitations.”
The use of floppy disks peaked in American homes and offices in the mid-1990s, and modern computers do not even accommodate them anymore. But The Federal Register continues to accept them, in part because legal and security requirements have yet to be updated, but mostly because the wheels of government grind ever slowly.
Davita Vance-Cooks, the head of the Government Printing Office, which prints The Federal Register and publishes it online, spoke at a congressional hearing on Wednesday about her department’s attempts to make its work remain relevant in a post-print world. Despite creating mobile apps, The Federal Register still requires agencies to submit information on paper, with original signatures, though they can create a digital signature via a secured email system.
Agencies are also permitted to submit the documents on CD-ROMs and floppy disks, but not on flash drives or SD cards. “The Federal Register Act says that an agency has to submit the original and two duplicate originals or two certified copies,” said Amy P. Bunk, The Federal Register’s director of legal affairs and policy. As long as an agency does that through one of the approved methods of transmission, she said, “they’ve met the statutory requirement.”
But the secure email system — which uses software called Public Key Infrastructure technology — is expensive, and some government agencies have not yet upgraded to it. As a result, some agencies still scan documents on to a computer and save them on floppy disks. The disks are then sent by courier to the register.
Ms. Bunk said that although many agencies did use the secure email system, The Federal Register could not require it until Congress made it compulsory by law.
“There are limits as to how far we can make the agencies do everything in lock step,” said Jim Bradley, the assistant public printer for the Government Printing Office. Federal budget cuts, he said, had helped slow down any modernization.
“We’ve got to accommodate the funding and everything else,” Mr. Bradley said. “Some agencies move forward with technology, and that’s great. Other agencies aren’t ready to go this year, maybe not next year.”
A spokesman for The Federal Register would not say which agencies still used floppy disks. But at The Register’s office, a modest space on North Capitol Street in sight of the Capitol dome, couriers were recently seen coming in and out as an employee pulled a floppy disk from one package and at least two CD-ROMs from others.
Meanwhile, experts say that an administration that prided itself on its technological savvy has a long way to go in updating the computer technology of the federal government. HealthCare.gov and the floppy disks of The Federal Register, they say, are but two recent examples of a government years behind the private sector in digital innovation.
Mr. Soloway, of the Professional Services Council, said that the government’s technology was also causing it to fall behind in cooperation with the private sector. “It’s undoubtedly inhibiting the expansion” of what corporations are willing to do with the government, Mr. Soloway said. “And it remains an inhibitor for the next generation of companies.”
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
As long as they aren't spying on my floppy drive...
this is completely normal, sadly, for the government. Unless you're in a majorly funded area, technology is always the last thing to be upgraded. It's pathetic. They still use Windows 3.1 at some hospitals in Nova Scotia, I don't even know how, but there you have it.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
Partially .. but this is the part that could easily be fixed
The use of floppy disks peaked in American homes and offices in the mid-1990s, and modern computers do not even accommodate them anymore. But The Federal Register continues to accept them, in part because legal and security requirements have yet to be updated, but mostly because the wheels of government grind ever slowly.
Davita Vance-Cooks, the head of the Government Printing Office, which prints The Federal Register and publishes it online, spoke at a congressional hearing on Wednesday about her department’s attempts to make its work remain relevant in a post-print world. Despite creating mobile apps, The Federal Register still requires agencies to submit information on paper, with original signatures, though they can create a digital signature via a secured email system
The use of floppy disks peaked in American homes and offices in the mid-1990s, and modern computers do not even accommodate them anymore. But The Federal Register continues to accept them, in part because legal and security requirements have yet to be updated, but mostly because the wheels of government grind ever slowly.
Davita Vance-Cooks, the head of the Government Printing Office, which prints The Federal Register and publishes it online, spoke at a congressional hearing on Wednesday about her department’s attempts to make its work remain relevant in a post-print world. Despite creating mobile apps, The Federal Register still requires agencies to submit information on paper, with original signatures, though they can create a digital signature via a secured email system
It seems way out of date. However, most of our ATM machines will only spit out records to a floppy disk. And none of the PCs we have installed have a floppy drive. I had to order a USB floppy drive to read ATM records. That seems way bizarre.
Yeah, while they could update the requirements, how long till they get the funding to update the machines? Probably never with this Republican house, which seems unable to pass even common sense laws that should have no party affiliation.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
None of that passed in a Democratic House either and it is not like the Senate is dying for it either. I doubt the GOP would object to a change like "we need to print all this crap when it is all digital" ... that is more likely to be championed by old school people of both parties and government employees unions that do not want to see the printing jobs go away. Just as likely to be Democratic interests .. but as I said, most likely just typical government unwillingness to change and being years and years behind the real world. As evidenced by a website that will end up costing $1 Billion to enact.
Oh yeah, I understand that there is a lot of entrenchment and just difficult attitudes towards it in both parties. But I'm saying *this* congress wouldn't pass it. They haven't passed much of anything, and I don't think they make a chance for IT infrastructure. Do I think it'll change in the next congress? Probably not.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
There is little change either the Senate or House will change their views and even if the Senate flips over, there is still a stalemate with White House for at least 2 years ... we have stalemate .. but I also doubt if this came up on its own (the printing issue for example) .. it would pass.
D
Deleted member 7164
Guest
It's probably running control software for medical equipment. Isolated machines like this exist everywhere. Several Siemens medical systems I know of that were manufactured in early '90s use 386 PC based control computers, they're still in widespread use throughout Europe.
Machines running Windows 2000 or XP are surprisingly common in the wild. Windows 3.1 is a 16-bit OS, with a ancient TCP/IP (networking) implementation called Trumpet Winsock. It's 'connectivity' is limited and it's running architecture is obsolete, and thus it poses little threat concerning viruses inside networked environment. XP/2000 are discontinued, full of security flaws, their native binary format is completely compatible with modern Windows, and they feature full networking...a recipe for disaster.
So leave the poor Win 3.1 alone
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
Congrats to President Obama
The political fact-checking organization Politifact has deemed President Obama’s claim that if you like your plan you can keep it under the healthcare overhaul its “Lie of the Year.”
“It was a catchy political pitch and a chance to calm nerves about his dramatic plan to bring historic change to America’s health insurance system,” Politifact wrote. “But the promise was impossible to keep.”
Millions of people have been told by their insurers that their plans will be canceled under the Affordable Care Act, despite Obama’s promises that no one who liked their plan would lose it.
The White House announced a workaround earlier this year at a press conference in which Obama said he heard “loud and clear” why individuals were upset over receiving the cancellation notices despite his promise.
“I completely get how upsetting this could be ... particularly after assurances they heard from me,” he said at the time.
The president's offer to quell the bipartisan outcry was to allow states an additional year to continue offering plans that don't meet ObamaCare's mandated requirements.
The executive action has received a cool reception from some liberals, state insurers and industry groups, and would still render Obama's original pledge "false" by 2015.
The political fact-checking organization Politifact has deemed President Obama’s claim that if you like your plan you can keep it under the healthcare overhaul its “Lie of the Year.”
“It was a catchy political pitch and a chance to calm nerves about his dramatic plan to bring historic change to America’s health insurance system,” Politifact wrote. “But the promise was impossible to keep.”
Millions of people have been told by their insurers that their plans will be canceled under the Affordable Care Act, despite Obama’s promises that no one who liked their plan would lose it.
The White House announced a workaround earlier this year at a press conference in which Obama said he heard “loud and clear” why individuals were upset over receiving the cancellation notices despite his promise.
“I completely get how upsetting this could be ... particularly after assurances they heard from me,” he said at the time.
The president's offer to quell the bipartisan outcry was to allow states an additional year to continue offering plans that don't meet ObamaCare's mandated requirements.
The executive action has received a cool reception from some liberals, state insurers and industry groups, and would still render Obama's original pledge "false" by 2015.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
.. as it should be
PRINCETON, NJ -- Seventy-two percent of Americans say big government is a greater threat to the U.S. in the future than is big business or big labor, a record high in the nearly 50-year history of this question. The prior high for big government was 65% in 1999 and 2000. Big government has always topped big business and big labor, including in the initial asking in 1965, but just 35% named it at that time.
The latest update comes from a Dec. 5-8 poll. Gallup has documented a steady increase in concern about big government since 2009, rising from 55% in March 2009 to 64% in November 2011 and 72% today. This suggests that government policies specific to the period, such as the Affordable Care Act -- perhaps coupled with recent revelations of government spying tactics by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden -- may be factors.
Currently, 21% name big business as the greatest threat, while 5%, a record low, say big labor. The high point for big labor was 29% in 1965. No more than 11% of Americans have chosen big labor since 1995, clearly reflecting the decline of the labor movement in the United States in recent decades.
PRINCETON, NJ -- Seventy-two percent of Americans say big government is a greater threat to the U.S. in the future than is big business or big labor, a record high in the nearly 50-year history of this question. The prior high for big government was 65% in 1999 and 2000. Big government has always topped big business and big labor, including in the initial asking in 1965, but just 35% named it at that time.
The latest update comes from a Dec. 5-8 poll. Gallup has documented a steady increase in concern about big government since 2009, rising from 55% in March 2009 to 64% in November 2011 and 72% today. This suggests that government policies specific to the period, such as the Affordable Care Act -- perhaps coupled with recent revelations of government spying tactics by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden -- may be factors.
Currently, 21% name big business as the greatest threat, while 5%, a record low, say big labor. The high point for big labor was 29% in 1965. No more than 11% of Americans have chosen big labor since 1995, clearly reflecting the decline of the labor movement in the United States in recent decades.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bb8nh7AIIAAPu1d.jpg
Absurd! :--)
Absurd! :--)
