[KLUG Advocacy] Secretary of State computer problems

[Adam Williams]

> > Does anybody know the nature of teh S of S's computer problems
> > yesterday?  I'm hearing about them on the radio and I wonder if they
> > have anything to do with the blaster worm.
> I hadn't heard about it although last time I was in there they announced to the room that they had a state wide SOS computer outage. That was last month.

Last time I was there they were having computer problems, hmmmm... I'm
noticing a pattern.  Now I just use the drop box on the front door -
always get my stuff in the mail within 48 hours.

> > Maybe the state of Michigan will get mad like Ernie Ball and start
> > busting on the Linux.
> The one thing that stuck out on my last visit to the SOS was that they had 14 flat 
> screen monitors on the counter - and 4 employees behind the counter.

Yep.

> On a recent trip to NYC I asked a friend of mine, who works for an investment house
> out there, about dropping MS and looking at alternatives. Her response was that MS
> was such a small fraction of their overall IT budget that it wasn't worth looking at.

I've heard that from people too.  Of course, I then wonder if they are
actually licensed properly.  Or discover they have a UNIX or mainframe
system on the backend (which they often don't know they do - yes, even
IT people).

> My guess is that the State of Michigan is in a similar position.

I'd guess that are just to lost, steerless, and confused to know what to
look into.