Article

2015-03-27 Government

Special ops troops using flawed intel software

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Posted by Besoeker 2015-03-27 00:35|| || Front Page|| [11131 views ] Top

#1 Like we said time and again, scrap the shit that does not serve you in the field, and the Line chose their weapons, CAS, equipment.
Screw Congress kickbacks.

Posted by newc 2015-03-27 00:55|| 2015-03-27 00:55|| Front Page Top

#2 Ask one of these 'Pentagon officials' how well DCGS plays with Analyst Notebook (AnB), one of the most commonly used, and user/soldier friendly link analysis tools in the inventory.

Posted by Besoeker 2015-03-27 01:23|| 2015-03-27 01:23|| Front Page Top

#3 AnB tutorial.

Posted by Besoeker 2015-03-27 01:50|| 2015-03-27 01:50|| Front Page Top

#4 As a systems analyst for 30+ years, and one with experience with the military's view of IS, I can say with not a single caveat that the major problem they are having here is common across all systems integration projects.

The key question is "What do you want this system to do best?" There are always trade-offs that have to be made.

Everyone with a voice in the decision invariably has a different opinion. Unfortunately the most critical functions where the rubber meets the road are NOT critical to the managers and suits that make the call.

Users will quickly bastardize the system to meet their needs as best they can to try and mitigate the mediocre systems pushed on them.

I've heard similar complaints about aircraft design.

The old aphorism "Jack of all trades, master of none" comes to mind often in such projects.

Posted by AlanC 2015-03-27 07:14|| 2015-03-27 07:14|| Front Page Top

#5 So true, AlanC.

Everybody wants their own version of blinking lights and omg!!!ponies!!!.

Posted by Mullah Richard 2015-03-27 08:54|| 2015-03-27 08:54|| Front Page Top

#6 An obvious opportunity for Palantir to take a month or so and duplicate the basic parts of DCGS. Put that on offer, integrated with their own software. Then, start selling upgrades and plugins to the DOD until they reach full functionality. Then, get bought by Google.

Posted by KBK 2015-03-27 10:17|| 2015-03-27 10:17|| Front Page Top

#7 "Every time I click on .embassy threats. an animated gif of Hillary! pops up."

Posted by swksvolFF 2015-03-27 11:18|| 2015-03-27 11:18|| Front Page Top

#8 Its like that danged pile of junk Sheridan "tank(?)" the Mobility command at Aberdeen foisted off on the Army, it was worthless until all of the bells and whistles were taken off and thrown away. Then it became almost okay as opposed to Gawdawful....

Remember the Sheridan? I still wake up in cold sweat thinking about that death trap on treads

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2015-03-27 12:06|| 2015-03-27 12:06|| Front Page Top

#9 "The key question is "What do you want this system to do best?" There are always trade-offs that have to be made."

Bureaucrats want systems to "CMA"* it rarely matters whether they work. Most bureaucrats are against systems that work because it uncovers their ass.

*Cover My Ass

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2015-03-27 13:12|| 2015-03-27 13:12|| Front Page Top

#10 Newc. Bright idea. Let's have every soldier choose his own rifle requiring its own specific ammo and spare parts. Bright, really bright.

Posted by JFM 2015-03-27 13:18|| 2015-03-27 13:18|| Front Page Top

#11 BP, that's certainly part of it, especially among "public" servants. However, even with the best intentions the same problem arises.

Much of the conflict is between the end-user community and the back room bean counters. The latter only want to analyse the data according to the complex methods they are currently pushing.

Unfortunately the end users are the ones that need short term specific information not aggregate over time roll ups. EG thinks point of sales, that needs single customer information; previous purchases, address and names and numbers; but the back office boys want all the individual sales rolled up and analysed according to their categorizations, timings, etc. so they require the sales clerk to enter reams of stuff that is immaterial to the clerk.

So, the person doing the data entry pays scant attention to the immaterial and may even appropriate certain fields for their own use rather than what was intended, think category fields getting filled with some kind of personally coded information.

The end result can be a real charlie foxtrot all around. Usually the programmer gets the blame :-)

Posted by AlanC 2015-03-27 14:26|| 2015-03-27 14:26|| Front Page Top

#12 There seems to have been a pissing contest among competitors awhile back. Palantir's 3rd blackeye. Palantir is a left leaning organization judging from what they are about at their website "What we are about." At some point they will come in conflict with politics.

Posted by JohnQC 2015-03-27 15:24|| 2015-03-27 15:24|| Front Page Top

#13 Awwww Knuckles what a waste of a great nic.

Posted by Shipman 2015-03-27 16:46|| 2015-03-27 16:46|| Front Page Top

#14 Just another marketing article by proprietary software vender Palantir. Move along. Nothing to see here but crony capitalism.

Posted by rammer 2015-03-27 22:29|| 2015-03-27 22:29|| Front Page Top

23:49 Besoeker
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