[chrisseaton]

> So the broader question would be: what makes governments apparently unable to get big IT projects done right?

Signals intelligence people must be building some of the most powerful computer systems in the world. They also historically have innovated and led the industry in areas like crypto. How come they get it right but the rest of the civil service can’t?

[Rebelgecko]

It probably helps if your successes and fuck-ups are classified for decades

[sneak]

...and your budget, too. This is probably the most important part.

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/11/22/why-cant-the-do...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_budget

[chrisseaton]

The rest of the civil service seems almost entirely unable to get anything done in computing though. Signals intelligence in the UK and US seem to ship quite a lot of success, from all the history, leaks, and things you can physically see like Bumblehive. Definitely something they’re doing differently than the rest of the civil service.

[ahepp]

How much are they paying? I suspect it may be a shocking premium.