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Robert McMillan writes that when it comes to computers, the federal government has a nasty reputation for prizing ISO standards and regulatory checkboxes above working code but now Mikey Dickerson, the former Google engineer who flew into Washington a year ago to salvage the disastrous Healthcare.gov website, says that's changing and the feds want all the techies out there to know Dickerson wasn’t forced to do his amazing job in a suit and tie.
If you do take a job at the White House, you may want to bring your own snacks, expect to work at a desk, not a couch, and hold off on bringing your skateboard to work. Still, the feds are trying to do tech in a clueful fashion. The Obama administration has opened the door to open-source software and collaborative coding. And, hey, even the CIA is using Amazon’s web services.
In a White House video, Dickerson, the new head of the US Digital Service, says he is asked one question again and again by people curious about his new job. They “want to know if I’m wearing a suit to work every day,” In the video, there’s a shot of a staff meeting where President Obama gives Dickerson and his fellow tech “hot-shots” a shout out. “They’re starting to look official now, aren’t they? They’ve got suits and everything,” Obama quips, a nod to the black jacket and yellow tie Dickerson has worn to the meeting. Dickerson tells the president this isn’t the norm. “This is literally only because you’re here,” he replies.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Lagg on Friday August 22 2014, @07:20PM
Go to hell buddy. People like this clearly don't have the slightest clue about how people who write code act or dress. Because they're programmers they're going to dress in jeans and a stupid t-shirt and be riding rollerblades and shit? Did you get your ideas for how people in my field work by watching Hackers?
It feels like I'm being talked down to when I see stuff like this. When I worked at an actual company still I dressed in a business casual suit with shirt and tie because that was just how it is. People might prefer otherwise and I do too but in what dimension do people like this live where they think they can treat adults who are the very reason their systems run like belligerent children. If this is all they have to attract new people that's pretty pathetic quite frankly. Plus how does he know the tone in which people ask this stuff? Maybe they're asking because they harbor the same mindset and don't want to work with manchildren or perhaps actually like wearing suits. Some people do.
Obama can go to hell too. Official? So you're stupid enough to judge people's "officialness" due to the suit they're wearing? Well that actually explains quite a bit for this guy but still it looks like all you have to do to please obama is wear a suit! Maybe that's his groundbreaking plan to stop new Snowden-type employees from appearing.
Also, the guy in the article's picture will be insulting too for anyone who values their appearance at their job. This guy is trying entirely way too hard to be the stereotypical "IT guy", shadow on both his chins, tacky t-shirt, the works. I'm sorry for the rambling but this is really just showing that the Whitehouse indeed hasn't changed if they think dress code is even worth mentioning as if it was representative of actual changes.
http://lagg.me [lagg.me] 🗿
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 22 2014, @08:51PM
I agree, where I work, the de-facto uniform is polo + slacks or jeans. I like that, I do occasionally wear a t-shirt on a friday or something, but for the most part I can be comfortable in a polo and honestly, since 90% or my interaction is with code, and the other 10% is with coders, how I dress isn't that big of a deal.
Also, suits are about the worst designed form of clothing ever. Anything that prevents you from moving your arms in normal fashion is just a bad design.
(Score: 2) by migz on Saturday August 23 2014, @02:35PM
Recall the origins of the suit and the inability to perform any sort of movement is part of the intent.
Those wearing suits no doubt had a bevvy of servants to feed them grapes, and would otherwise only movement required would be the occasional sip of champagne.
Besides suits were designed for cosmetic not functional use. What do you think a tie is for anyway?
(Score: 1) by David_W on Saturday August 23 2014, @09:02PM
What do you think a tie is for anyway?
Other than for cutting off circulation to the brain, I've wondered this myself. Ties do not appear to serve any practical/functional purpose at all in an outfit. And for the most part I've never understood the cosmetic appeal of them either...