FTFA: CSTARS "hasn't failed," Cooke said. "It's in test."

"It's not dead, it's testin'!"

CSTARS "hasn't failed," Cooke said. "It's in test."

It's not a bug, it's a feature!

totalsecurity: "It's not dead, it's testin'!"

Pining for the Fords?

Wrote computer code before they were given detailed plans for what that code should do.

Sounds like every developed I know.

r, developeR.

Just another day in Colorado Government.... Nothing new to see.... Move along...

/This nothing compared to the DIA-United baggage system

Sucks to be you, Colorado drivers.

Doctor Funkenstein Are you trying to say that dogs don't drive in Colorado?

/I'll buy that for a dollar

b...b...but it has such a spiffy name: CSTARS

(wonder how many million$ that cost?)

FTFA: "Doesn't compute: 'It's like you were having a baby, and it turned out ugly'"

i LOL'd

C'mon guys, how hard is it to write an if statement?

IF (plate == special) then
{ fee = fee * 47328974892 }
ELSE
{ fee = fee * 47328974891 }
ENDIF

Either way DMV == teh suck.

***
Wrote computer code before they were given detailed plans for what that code should do.
***

Yeah, that's taxes they just pissed away. I've got a database application and website to create for a business a few hours away and they haven't called me back with the key specifics for the last table, haven't taken any pictures or sent me any information about the business and they don't have a website that I can glean information from. Do you think I'm sitting around making stuff up or do you think I'm actually waiting for the proper information?

Perhaps jst3p would like to comment on this?

thelordofcheese: Do you think I'm sitting around making stuff up or do you think I'm actually waiting for the proper information?

Depends on if you are getting paid by the hour, or by the job. By the hour, you are making stuff up, by the job, you are waiting for correct specs. ;-)

What a cluster fark the computer systems must be in Co. I wonder what kind of kick backs/"perks" there were at the high levels. It all reads like a book on "How to Fark Development Projects Up for Dummies".

Yes, I used to develop applications for a living, etc., etc.

Everytime I see a story like this I'm reminded of this.

This, IMO, is what you get when you let idiots who should only be computing on an etch-a-sketch design software.

"It's not a bug, its a feature!"

This is, verbatim, what our new software overlords - I mean, vendors, told us when we complained about the craptacularness of our library circulation system. Bastids.

The problem is they haven't spent the full $10M yet. Got to get that out of the way and be able to say you really tried before you can say it failed.

I live in Colorado now and am married to a sw developer, so I'm...well actually having flashbacks of all the biatching that he does along these very same lines.

I'm not going to defend the software company but I can bet half the fun goes to the State. My experience is they want you to tell them what they need while they supply a wish list including such usefull items as Unicorns and water powered engines. After giving the wish list, everyone disappears to begin whining that the software does not do what they want while nobody will be responsible for guiding the project to completion.

Five computer systems all are having problems? Maybe it's not the developers but the administrations who don't know what the hell they want? As a developer myself for a city hall I know what it's like to end up having to figure out what the user wants because they can't explain it themselves.

so let me get (part of) this straight: All the county DMV's work differently in Colorado. Adams county refused to participate in the trial in 2005, and were later shocked that CSTARS didn't do what they needed to do? Shocking.

Andersen Consulting -> Accenture -> Avenade

It's all Bigtime Consulting

FTA:

The state initially wanted to buy an existing DMV system and modify it. But instead it chose Avanade, which had never built a DMV system, over six companies that had. Many of the other six, however, ignored key requirements in their bids.

I LOL'ed. Sounds like they ought to be looking for "Avanade" on the resumes of some of their state officials.

The new system would have to deal with so many vehicle registration laws that the list alone ran 32 pages.

Sign number 459 that you have too many laws. A computer can't even figure them all out. A 32-page explanation of something as simple and purposeless as vehicle registration? I'd hate to see their child support laws.

Heh, I work for a state government contractor so I'm really getting a kick out of these replies. (heh, always wanted to use that one...)

But seriously, working with state governments is pretty hit and miss. A few folks/agencies are really on the ball and know what they're about and are able to produce detailed (and more importantly, coherent!) system specifications at the drop of a hat. The rest is a split between the folks that you can coax coherent business rules out of with a little time and effort (manageable), and those that are only there because getting fired from a state job is damn near impossible.

Re: the disparaty between counties.
Why the hell don't they split the process? If West Bumblefark county wants to get fancy with its vehicle taxes, have them develop/buy their own system. Then the county goes on a separate, simple, state-wide system to tell the state that License Plate XYZ corresponds to VIN# 123.

If the counties want to make things complicated, they should be the ones who pay for it.

The problem is not with the developers or code-writers, but with the higher-up muckety-mucks who think they have even the remotest clue they know what the heck they're talking about.

Best consulting gig I ever had was an office that sat down with me, gave me the details of the project they needed the database for, let me meet with key stakeholders, then told me "have at it!" No interference or micromanaging, and they couldn't have been happier when it was done because they got more capabilities than they expected. If they'd mucked about with me, they would have gotten only what they wanted and it would have taken twice as long to do.

They asked me back two years later on the same project, and I didn't hesitate a second to say yes to working with a company like that.

Oliver Twisted: I'm not going to defend the software company but I can bet half the fun goes to the State

Yeah, I'll go with this. Maybe a higher percent state's fault. Every gov't project I've worked on, they come in and change specs and requirements in the late stages...then whine b/c it's going to cost more money. Folks, designing and writing computer system is like building a house. Better plan the SOB out first.

Sure, we certainly can put the kitchen on the other side of the house after it has been 90% built. Just don't expect us to do it for free and have it done tomorrow.

I work for a company that builds software for several state and federal government agencies, so I'm really getting a kick out of this...

//Seriously, this sounds like a typical project with the fed/state government
//Over cost, shattered timelines, constantly changing requirements, admins that can't decide what they want...

This has been an ongoing saga for a while ... I'm sure we'll read more about it - yikes!

"It's like you were having a baby, and it turned out ugly"

who would say something like that? are there any parents that think their kid is ugly?

poor attempt at a simile...

"It's like you were having a baby, and it turned out ugly"

who would say something like that? are there any parents that think their baby is ugly?

poor attempt at a simile...

Roman Fyseek, LMAO! May I forward that to my developer hubby?

/so true
//consultant
///billing for time spent getting kicks from these replies

So, Colorado thinks the system is OK, because it didn't fail as badly as their computer systems usually do? They might have a future in the software industry after all.

Should have bought SCMODS.