# Biden: "We're not technology geeks" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 31, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-were-not-technology-geeks/672791 "2013-10-31T22:19:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-were-not-technology-geeks/672791/41 "2013-11-07T21:34:38Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > And if such existed, why was the project made live without first being made fully functional? It happened because the time line was set to be in place 3 months before the hard implementation of the law. It happened because certain subversive groups intermittently shut down the government and prevented essential work to be done on time (furloughs, etc) while the law did not allow for silly and childish delays. > [@Xema](#): > > There certainly does need to be adequate funding. Do you feel that the website’s development budget was inadequate? If so, why was this not publicized? Well, let me see if I can find some obscure articles from some remote news organizations regarding funding and changes to The Affordable Healthcare Act in 2013. > **[2013 United States federal government shutdown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_government_shutdown_of_2013)** > > Bowles–Simpson Commission > 2007–2008 financial crisis > 2013 budget sequestration > **[A Brief History of the 2013 Government Shutdown](https://www.mediaite.com/tv/a-brief-history-of-the-2013-government-shutdown/)** > > Now that the government shutdown is over (at least for now), we're guaranteed to see a slew of think-pieces and look-backs on the near-month-long partisan battle that led to a government shutdown and took America to the edge of possibly defaulting. > **[Government shutdown: Cost could be up to $24 billion](https://www.nbcnews.com/business/budget-battles-bite-out-economy-will-be-billions-8C11409508)** [http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123\_162-57610099/government-shutdown-has-lasting-effects-on-u.s-companies/](http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-57610099/government-shutdown-has-lasting-effects-on-u.s-companies/) > **[The Costs of the Government Shutdown](https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/10/the-costs-of-the-government-shutdown/)** > > The ripple effects of the 16-day government shutdown were felt far and wide. > **[Obama: Republicans using 'extortion' on debt limit](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24453693)** > > US President Obama says he is willing to hold budget talks with Republicans, but not if they "demand a ransom in exchange for doing their jobs". > **[U.S. government shutdown enters third week with little progress | CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-government-shutdown-enters-third-week-with-little-progress-1.2053261)** > > U.S. Senate majority leader Harry Reid, who is holding talks with the top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell, said he is confident the Republicans will allow government to reopen and also extend the U.S. government's borrowing capacity. > **[Nine things we missed during the shutdown | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/17/politics/government-shutdown-things-we-missed-irpt/)** > > The shutdown is over after 16 days, but the things we missed while the government was closed are still fresh in our minds. [http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/10/15/wall-street-losing-patience-on-shutdown-deal](http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/10/15/wall-street-losing-patience-on-shutdown-deal) > **[Where next?](https://www.economist.com/united-states/2013/10/26/where-next)** > > There is an opening for a deal that would let government function more normally I know these sources probably aren’t on your radar, but you have my word that each and every one of them is a legitimate and accredited news organization. And, if its more your style, even [Pravda](http://english.pravda.ru/world/americas/17-10-2013/125925-america_collapse-0/) chimed in. I’m not sure how a bright and management-focused poster like yourself could have missed them, but rest assured, it was publicized. Go figure. > [@Xema](#): > > Thanks for your concern, but the ground I’m standing on seems to be supporting me quite nicely. Yeah, but one good frost & your head will be stuck down there til Spring. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-were-not-technology-geeks/672791/42 "2013-11-08T03:27:07Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > The level of outrage from you guys over this is hilarious. After everything from Guantanemo Bay to Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq Clusterfuck and the Afghanistan boondoogle its a website that finally gets you to show a bit of emotion on the boards. Forget about the trail of dead bodies your country has produced over the last thirteen year and the billions wasted in the pursuit of the war on terror, but hey, some contractors screwed up a website and this is _the worst president ever._ This comment actually made me stop and think. I can deal with poor decisions and even immoral behavior as long as the plan is well-executed. I can’t tolerate complete incompetence on the part of the U.S. government. The big difference is that Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay may have room for debate on their morals but they were based on well executed plans that worked. However, not all of your examples fit in that model. The response to Hurricane Katrina courtesy of Bush Jr. was even worse because I am from Louisiana and I was even harder on him about that abysmal performance from a chief executive. This example fits in the same mold and I will be hard on any President whether it is Democrat, Republican or otherwise who cannot execute plans that private companies do every day for much less cost and without the drama. BTW, this isn’t about a simple website. I wish people would understand that. That is just a end-user browser window and the end result of a much larger failure. The entire plan and the infrastructure to support it is ill-designed and will not work as advertised for some time if ever. Emergency remediation to a project of this size are not easy and unacceptable because there are people that could have gotten almost all of it right the first time because it is a solved problem in the industry. I cannot stand to see the U.S. have the same poor level of plan execution as say, Italy which is what we are dealing with now except the size and stakes are much higher. Somehow, we can find well-trained military officers, chief scientists, NFL coaches and corporate project managers that can execute anything you can imagine yet our highest level politicians couldn’t manage a small retail store let alone a whole country. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-were-not-technology-geeks/672791/43 "2013-11-10T03:25:52Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > … let me see if I can find some obscure articles from some remote news organizations regarding funding and changes to The Affordable Healthcare Act in 2013. You do understand that the question is whether the development of the website was adequately funded? And that this went live (for certain values of “live”) on the same day the shutdown began? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-were-not-technology-geeks/672791.md?page=2)