US Government Outdoes Squarespace and Weebly
September 18, 2015
The ability of the US government to innovate is remarkable. I learned in “18F’s Federalist Helps Agencies Build Websites Faster.” You, gentle reader, probably know that 18F refers to the street on which the ever efficient General Services Administration, part of the White House’s Executive Branch, works its wonders. In addition to a big courtyard, the 18 F Street facility also has an auditorium which sometimes floods, thus becoming a convenient swimming pool for the tireless innovators laboring in the structure a short walk from the president’s oval office.
The write up explained to me:
Currently in its first phase of software testing, the Federalist [the US government’s Web site builder] “automates common tasks for integrating GitHub, a content editor and Amazon Web Services,” so that web developers can manage and create new static websites on one consolidated platform, 18F said in a post on GSA.gov. The toolkit is equipped with a collection of static-site templates and a web-based content editor, allowing agencies to easily add and create section 508-compliant content while cutting the cost of designing an entirely new site or standing up a content management system.
When I read this, I thought about Squarespace, Weebly, and other services which have been providing similar functions, often for free, for many years.
The write up pointed out:
The platform is intended to be a faster, less expensive and more efficient option for developers building static sites and agencies without the website expertise. According to 18F, Federalist uses the same scalable content delivery strategy developed for healthcare.gov and the recently launched College Scorecard.
Obviously using one of the existing, free or low cost commercial services was inappropriate. The next project will be inventing the wheel and using vulcanized rubber, not polymers. The road map also calls for a multi year study of fire.
Stephen E Arnold, September 18, 2015
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