Our industry seems as prone to fashion as any other
If not more so — does everyone remember the awe we all felt before the UK’s GDS when it launched? Then suddenly…
So I have a question: what happens when the “fail fast and often” paradigm becomes doctrine in egovernment?
Don’t get me wrong — in theory it sounds great to release half-checked, bug-ridden websites for your users to check in the name of agile, learn-on-your-feet experimental web development. I’m sure it works great in the Valley.
But given that experimental governmental websites delivering actual governmental services really badly IRL can ruin people’s lives, I’m wondering how many lives it is acceptable to ruin in order to keep up with the Valley’s Joneses? Is there a ceiling?
And what about consent?
Generally if a medical researcher, psychologist or biologist wants to perform experiments on people, they have to get informed consent. When one inflicts an experimental government service on citizens to learn how it will fail them, how and when are they informed?
