Yes, I admit it, I served on one of the committees set up to create the National Infocomm Competency Framework. I did try to make my case that whatever they actually do release the framework, that there must be a RSS/ATOM/API to the contents that was being created from a tonne of taxpayer’s monies. Today, during a chat with some friends, it was obvious that the NICF is a good idea implemented badly. I do not find any particular value in using the NICF to “plan my career”. I am sure that there will always be, as the laws of large numbers dictate, some subset of people who would find the NICF actually providing value. So be it. But for the most part, the NICF, as setup, is a failure. More tax money down the tubes!

Talking of tubes that connect the interweb and wasted tax dollars, what’s with the joke of the “Wireless@SG” program? I have, honestly, tried to use it many a time. The overwhelming experience has been pure annoyance and slow speeds. What is the SLA for this service? Go to this map and try to see if it works for you. It does not for me. I am told that the only reason that there even is a Wireless@SG program is because the “Old Man” got a visitor belittling how there were no wifi points in Singapore. Next you know, out comes Wireless@SG. If there really was a honest attempt to make it work, they would have done away with the silly need to log in. I know that the Ministry of Home Affairs is really behind the need to track users, but please! We now have a White Elephant of a “nation wide free wireless access” and we tax payers have to continue to foot the bill. The ISPs are laughing all the way to the bank and us tax payers getting no benefit nor oversight!

Talking about unbenefitial deployments, how about the Standard Operating Environment project for the civil service. They will be running the wonderful M$ Exchange – yes, more vendor lock-in. They got snooked with Lotus Notes years ago, but now they are going from the frying pan into the fire. So much for quality e-government. No wonder there is no response to this post about how Singapore fell 16 places from 7th to 23rd in e-government readiness as reported by the United Nations.