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The sad thing is that the Mac isn't really an option for a contract like this.  Do you think the DHS really want to buy 1000's of macs just to avoid doing buisness with MS?  They should have hired IBM or someone to run Linux on their systems.

mmm, agreed.  It's sad when politics override what should be important government policy.  Granted, that whole department is a joke anyway.  I can't imagine it ever being productive.  Save, of course, the fact that's it's a nepotistic bureaucracy.

This is probably more a case of "computer = MS" perception most people other than we choosen ones have than any nefarious plot.


However, I think the title for this thread should be "Alert Level Blue' as in BSOD.

It akin to having an IT deptartment run by the receptionist

As a former receptionist, I resemble -- uh, resent -- that!

BLACK . . . because black is the color of the heart that sells out public interest so the higher ups get to put a couple million in their bank account.

I'm not saying OHS (Office of Homeland Security) needs to be on board with Mac but that there are options.  Linux is better.  Mac OS X is a much better choice.  Four or five years ago, the US Army web site was hacked and defaced.  Tired of being the target of evil Peaceniks, the Army went to the W3C (World WIde Web Consortium) and asked "What's the most secure web server?"  W3C said Mac.  That was before Mac OS X.  TO my knowledge, they still host their site on a Mac.  Could be wrong.  Maybe someone can run down that tidbit of data.  But its scary when the US Military makes more intelligent decisions than  . . .  actually it probably doesn't matter.  ITs all one big bureaucratic cake batter.  I still think there should be an investigation to understand why MS was chosen. 

I think that TOm Ridge and his Department of Homeland MoneyPit is about the biggest joke going.  Color coded Terror Alerts?  Does anyone remember Garanimals?  A brand of kiddie clothes that had a system of matching shirts, pants, etc: match the animal on the shirt with the animal on the pant and  . . HEY!  . . . you've got a matching outfit.  I wonder if TOm RIdge wore Garanimals . . . . .

Today's Terror Alert is . . . 

RIDICULOUS.javascript:emoticon('')

But . . . as many a Bush spokesperson will say . . . we're safer now than on Sept. 10th.  Golly.

clairaudiant

BLACK . . . because black is the color of the heart that sells out public interest so the higher ups get to put a couple million in their bank account.

Amusing.  And sadly true.  But let's keep in mind here -- The Department of Homeland Security was never, at any point, designed around public interest.  The government sells it as a means to 'Keep Americans safe an informed', but in reality it's the tool of a government that simply does not care about the Constitution it is supposed to uphold.  The DHS is evil.  Pure evil.  It's something straight out of the mind of George Orwell.  /rant


That being said, I have mixed feelings about them adopting Windows for all of their computing needs.  I'm sort of annoyed that they're spending taxpayer money on something so insecure; but then again, the government has been doing this for ages.  And really, $90million (I think that was the price) is very little when looking at the budget.  Still, seeing as they'll probably be collecting personal information on US citizens, it's a bit unnerving they'll be keeping it on Windows machines.  Then again, anything which will be unreliable and make life harder for those at DHS is something I'm happy about.  (and it's a pretty safe assumption Windows will make life harder for them) 

And it would be kind of nice to see the DHS's server/etc hacked.  It would be terribly amusing to watch someone make them look foolish by hacking their nice, shiny new Windows servers.

Admit to antitrust = get a 90Megabucks gubment deal!

What a country.

Good call.  Only in America where multibillion dollar companies can buy their way out of court and then get a 90Million $ contract (from the same gov, I might add), even after not complying with the court ruling.

It's stories like this that make me wonder whether or not the United States government can still be called a Democratic Republic, as it seems that the people come second to corporations. On the one hand, it only makes sense for an organization whose sole purpose is to spy on American citizens to rely on such an unethical corporation for its needs. But what happened to all the funding that DARPA gave to OpenBSD? Is the OHS so bound to Microsoft that it will let all that money go to waste, and trust its operations to a company with such a horrible security record?
I think the time is ripe to move to Canada...     

We haven't lived in a democracy for a very long time...

Live the fantasy folks, you wouldn't like the reality.

America, Inc.

Wow, this realyy makes me sad. The whole anit-trust thing ended on a depressing note, and now this. Hey, it isn't because they aren't using Macs, but Microsoft???

Why does our government continue to insult our intellect with these heinous acts? Do they really think the majority of us are that stupid?

Oh.

If you are going to read Orwell read Animal Farm - it goes hand-in-hand with 1984. I would suggest finding a book that explains who all the chracters are in real life (though this does not beat actually having an English class in which the teacher explains the chapters).

I recall seeing the military using Macs for their in the field work. Maybe they know something that the big wigs don't!

BLACK . . . because black is the color of the heart that sells out public interest so the higher ups get to put a couple million in their bank account.

It's something straight out of the mind of George Orwell.  /rant

have you read any Orwell?? I know that not everybody who likes to name drop has and frankly it pisses me off...almost as much as the neo-anarchists and their flaunting of Nietsche (who would have laughed at them) Theres alot more to Orwell than "Big Brother" and Apple TV spots

Alright, so I'm no scholar on the works of George Orwell (1984 & Animal Farm are about the extent of what I've read).  But still, it's far from a false analogy.  If you'd prefer, I could just as easily say 'It's like something right out of 1984' and still have it mean the same thing.  Point being, this isn't the first time, and it certainly won't be the last time that something like the DHS has been called 'Orwellian'.  It's not inaccurate.  But feel free to give me a better term, and I'll use that instead from now on.