FBI's New Computer System: Late, Overbudget...And Useless For Finding Terrorists
from the but,-school-kids...-and-video-game-stars? dept
Back in 2000 the FBI decided it was finally time to upgrade their computer system, realizing they were very much out of date. They set up a plan that was expected to cost $380 million and be completed in 2003. It's now 2004 and $600 million have already been poured into it... and a new study says the system is useless in fighting terrorism. It was originally designed to help with investigations, and not counter-intelligence. Apparently, no one designing the system thought to make it flexible enough to adjust should the main focus of the FBI change at all. Instead, they just spent and spent - and are now being told they may need to start all over again from scratch. It's not as if no one knew terrorism was a threat in 2000, either. No wonder the FBI remains so good at tracking down kids file sharing, but can't seem to distinguish video game villains from real terrorists.
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Reflection of public tastes
The FBI at the time was criticized for not spending enough resources to fight crime on the streets, that instead they were investigating useless "counter-intelligence" threats, relics of a bygone Cold War era. Politicians competed to say bad things about the CIA/FBI intelligence apparatus, that the CIA should be abolished. People argued that Osama was just a "straw man", an imaginary foe invented by Washington because "America needs an enemy".
For similar reasons, it is often very difficult for government agencies to obtain up-to-date computer systems. Budgets are subject to many months of acrimonious debate, by which time software has been upgraded several versions. But since the original budget called for a particular version, the agency may be required by law to purchase the outdated software/hardware anyway. If the agency deviates from this, then hearings will take place on Capitol Hill about "$400 toasters", etc., and the masses are whipped up into a frenzy of anger over "government waste".
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Re: Reflection of public tastes
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What they really thought ...
Yes it sure was a lot of money.
But you can play Grand Theft Auto Vice City on it !
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