Something better to do

DOGE damage case study: the VA.gov architecture oversight process

We built something that made VA.gov much better, and DOGE destroyed it without understanding or caring about what they were doing.

DOGE / USDS / coup news roundup: USDSers resign, plus: MSNBC, Jacobin Magazine, Associated Press, NPR, Stars & Stripes, The Hill

The big news today is 21 USDSers resigned as a group rather than helping DOGE. I wasn’t part of that group, but I 100% support what they’re doing.
In other news, I’m in the news all over the place, and there’s more coming. Read the post for the details.

Astoundingly good “WIRED” article about my firing from VA and what it means

Author Lily Hay Newman does an incredible job capturing the high stakes of compromising the security of VA.gov.

Hack of the day: CGI script for temporary download bandwidth throttling

I wrote a self-service way for my family to tell my computer to stop hogging all the download bandwidth so they can do their online meetings or gaming.

News broadcast soundbites: how the sausage is made

By the time they’re talking to you to record the soundbite, they already know what they want you to say, they just need to get you on camera saying it. There are some amusing aspects to how this played out in this case.

I appeared briefly tonight on the NBC Nightly News

I appeared tonight on the NBC Nightly News in a segment by Peter Alexander about bad stuff the Trump administration has done recently and how people are reacting to it (I imagine this may be a daily segment?).

New IG reel from Feds Against DOGE: why VA data privacy matters

Watch this video and then get involved! The only way we stop this if if people get off the sidelines.

Boston Herald article about my termination by DOGE

The article about my firing from USDS and VA is fair, accurate, and even-handed.

Tampermonkey script: no, Newegg, I don’t freakin’ want to subscribe

Script to prevent Newegg from subscribing me to their spam against my will.