A long and significant read on how the United States Government bureaucracy reflexively inhibits change — in this case technology efficiencies — and how small reform victories cascade to larger initiatives. The article, by Steven Levy, is instructive on how organizations can always aspire to provide better service, better outcomes. How this ‘Rebel Alliance’ counts immediate, small victories as essential in proving worth are also essentials steps for consensus building. It’s good storytelling too, with villains and heroes, tensions, and graceful arcs.

Star Spangled Geeks

To the dismay of government contractors, the United States Digital Service is gloriously hacking away in the VA and the Pentagon.