

Ask HN: Why must government websites/apps be terrible? - danso

This is based off the $200,000-for-a-crappy-app discussion, and in particular, comments like these:
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3266609<p>In which it is said that the amount of regulation  and documentation required by gov't contracts is what inflates the price.<p>Yet, there are a few government sites that are actually very good. The recent Federal Register redesign is not only more attractive, but much more usable (look at the easy-browsing interface and the statistical updates)
http://www.federalregister.gov/<p>How is it that the Federal Register was able to procure such a useful site (if you think it's bad, Google "federal register" to find the old site)? It cannot be that the government is doomed to overpay for shit work just because of all the bureaucratic regulations.<p>(unless the contract for the federalregister.gov is in the billions. Then my point is moot)
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dlf
Pretty much everything is outsourced to software development firms when the
government does a tech project. So, 1. there's little direct management and
ownership, and 2. the specs designated in the RFP may not actually be what is
best to actually achieve the objective. Having actually worked on such a
project, the layers of management are really a hindrance. Outside management
consultants are hired to manage technology consultants who manage software
development teams that are hired from software development firms... that sort
of thing.

There's probably a mess of other reasons too.

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_delirium
A more general question might be: why is software from large, bureaucratic
organizations always terrible? There's a certain "clunky enterprise stink"
that accompanies government software as well as BigCo software. One guess is
Conway's Law: <http://www.melconway.com/Home/Conways_Law.html>

/writing this comment after 20 minutes fighting with Oracle Calendar

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dfc
The accessibility requirements definitely make it harder to create apps that
are as slick as what you can find in the private sector.

Another reason may be lack of market forces...

