Aaron Snow
@aaronsnow.net
Led 18F/TTS and the Canadian Digital Service. Presidential Innovation Fellow, Georgetown's Beeck Center, VoProPartners. 206 for life, unlikely to shut up about the Guardians. The dadjokes don't stop just b/c they've grown & gone. https://aaronsnow.net/hi
Cleveland will hold a counter-protest at Huntington Bank Field, running 1995 clips of people booing, pulling the chairs out of Municipal and burning Art Model in effigy, soundtrack by Nirvana and Trent Reznor
On Sunday, the Ravens will commence the celebration of 30 years in Baltimore. And the opponent, of course, will be the Browns.
www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
When Browns come to town on Sunday, Ravens will celebrate 30 years in Baltimore
Thirty years ago, the Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens.
www.nbcsports.com
September 10, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Cleveland will hold a counter-protest at Huntington Bank Field, running 1995 clips of people booing, pulling the chairs out of Municipal and burning Art Model in effigy, soundtrack by Nirvana and Trent Reznor
Shot: "The last [18F] report urged the courts to 'start small.'"
Chaser: "In mid-2022, the administrative office awarded a five-year, $298 million contract to General Dynamics Information Technology."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/u...
Chaser: "In mid-2022, the administrative office awarded a five-year, $298 million contract to General Dynamics Information Technology."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/u...
Federal Courts Slow to Fix Vulnerable System After Repeated Hacking
www.nytimes.com
September 8, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Shot: "The last [18F] report urged the courts to 'start small.'"
Chaser: "In mid-2022, the administrative office awarded a five-year, $298 million contract to General Dynamics Information Technology."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/u...
Chaser: "In mid-2022, the administrative office awarded a five-year, $298 million contract to General Dynamics Information Technology."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/u...
Nobody asked for Americans to need tax preparers or filers at all.
June 26, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Nobody asked for Americans to need tax preparers or filers at all.
Reposted by Aaron Snow
Direct File is now open source. Finally.
A short, personal post about why: chrisgiven.com/2025/05/dire...
Massive kudos to the Direct File team for pulling this off and showing their commitment to transparency and earning trust.
A short, personal post about why: chrisgiven.com/2025/05/dire...
Massive kudos to the Direct File team for pulling this off and showing their commitment to transparency and earning trust.
Direct File on GitHub
Personal blog of Chris Given, government technologist. These words are always written by a human; I have no one to blame but myself.
chrisgiven.com
May 30, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Direct File is now open source. Finally.
A short, personal post about why: chrisgiven.com/2025/05/dire...
Massive kudos to the Direct File team for pulling this off and showing their commitment to transparency and earning trust.
A short, personal post about why: chrisgiven.com/2025/05/dire...
Massive kudos to the Direct File team for pulling this off and showing their commitment to transparency and earning trust.
Reposted by Aaron Snow
We have some news to share with you. 🥄
Today we took legal action to challenge our termination, filing an appeal with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. We did this because we believe the elimination of 18F violated safeguards that exist to protect a nonpartisan civil service.
Today we took legal action to challenge our termination, filing an appeal with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. We did this because we believe the elimination of 18F violated safeguards that exist to protect a nonpartisan civil service.
18F files legal challenge
A statement about 18F’s appeal filed with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board.
18f.org
May 28, 2025 at 7:25 PM
We have some news to share with you. 🥄
Today we took legal action to challenge our termination, filing an appeal with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. We did this because we believe the elimination of 18F violated safeguards that exist to protect a nonpartisan civil service.
Today we took legal action to challenge our termination, filing an appeal with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. We did this because we believe the elimination of 18F violated safeguards that exist to protect a nonpartisan civil service.
Outstanding thread for Canada's Election Day
A lot of Americans don't know this, but the winner of the Canadian election will be required live in a small cottage located in the backyard of the palace where the viceroy to the King of England lives.
The cottage just recently got a new wifi router, which was very exciting for all Canadians.
The cottage just recently got a new wifi router, which was very exciting for all Canadians.
April 29, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Outstanding thread for Canada's Election Day
RIP Richie Havens, who died 12 years ago today. Boy, this cover hits differently now youtu.be/JltNLkh03ME?...
Richie Havens "License To Kill"
YouTube video by powerplaynetworks
youtu.be
April 22, 2025 at 5:52 PM
RIP Richie Havens, who died 12 years ago today. Boy, this cover hits differently now youtu.be/JltNLkh03ME?...
A guy in our neighborhood has been posting a dad joke in their front yard every day since the pandemic started, and he chose today to get violent
April 1, 2025 at 6:31 PM
A guy in our neighborhood has been posting a dad joke in their front yard every day since the pandemic started, and he chose today to get violent
A quick story about big "bloated" systems that people love to hate.
When I was at Microsoft a million years ago, I had a friend on the MS Word team who told me this one. (I got the details second-hand; MSFT friends, please correct me.)
When I was at Microsoft a million years ago, I had a friend on the MS Word team who told me this one. (I got the details second-hand; MSFT friends, please correct me.)
March 11, 2025 at 2:14 PM
A quick story about big "bloated" systems that people love to hate.
When I was at Microsoft a million years ago, I had a friend on the MS Word team who told me this one. (I got the details second-hand; MSFT friends, please correct me.)
When I was at Microsoft a million years ago, I had a friend on the MS Word team who told me this one. (I got the details second-hand; MSFT friends, please correct me.)
18F had already saved the US government over a billion dollars in cost avoidance by the time I left in early 2017. No doubt it and TTS have saved much more since then -- all for the cost of a couple hundred civil servants' comp and benefits annually.
@alt18f.bsky.social saved taxpayers billions, modernized digital services, and made government work better. 💡Now, DOGE has shut it down—eliminating projects that served voters, refugees, military personnel, and more. Read about 18F’s impact ⬇️
🔗 www.wethebuilders.org/posts/what-i...
#altgov #18f
🔗 www.wethebuilders.org/posts/what-i...
#altgov #18f
March 11, 2025 at 2:27 AM
18F had already saved the US government over a billion dollars in cost avoidance by the time I left in early 2017. No doubt it and TTS have saved much more since then -- all for the cost of a couple hundred civil servants' comp and benefits annually.
Reposted by Aaron Snow
@alt18f.bsky.social saved taxpayers billions, modernized digital services, and made government work better. 💡Now, DOGE has shut it down—eliminating projects that served voters, refugees, military personnel, and more. Read about 18F’s impact ⬇️
🔗 www.wethebuilders.org/posts/what-i...
#altgov #18f
🔗 www.wethebuilders.org/posts/what-i...
#altgov #18f
March 11, 2025 at 2:16 AM
@alt18f.bsky.social saved taxpayers billions, modernized digital services, and made government work better. 💡Now, DOGE has shut it down—eliminating projects that served voters, refugees, military personnel, and more. Read about 18F’s impact ⬇️
🔗 www.wethebuilders.org/posts/what-i...
#altgov #18f
🔗 www.wethebuilders.org/posts/what-i...
#altgov #18f
Reposted by Aaron Snow
18F story behind my favorite government website:
www.ustaxcourt.gov/dawson.html
www.ustaxcourt.gov/dawson.html
DAWSON | United States Tax Court
Docket Access
www.ustaxcourt.gov
March 7, 2025 at 3:35 AM
18F story behind my favorite government website:
www.ustaxcourt.gov/dawson.html
www.ustaxcourt.gov/dawson.html
I'm told some DC AUSAs got those pizza-threats too. Absolutely beyond the pale.
"several federal judges in the Washington D.C. area had received pizzas sent anonymously to their homes, which is being interpreted by law enforcement as a form of intimidation meant to convey that a target’s address is known."
www.reuters.com/world/us/jud...
www.reuters.com/world/us/jud...
Exclusive: Judges face rise in threats as Musk blasts them over rulings
U.S. Marshals have warned federal judges of unusually high threat levels as tech billionaire Elon Musk and other Trump administration allies ramp up efforts to discredit judges who stand in the way of White House efforts to slash federal jobs and programs, said several judges with knowledge of the warnings.
www.reuters.com
March 6, 2025 at 2:17 AM
I'm told some DC AUSAs got those pizza-threats too. Absolutely beyond the pale.
Reposted by Aaron Snow
(1/3) It needs repeating: in 1994, Ukraine was persuaded to give up its nuclear weapons to Russia in return for the US, the UK, and Russia guaranteeing Ukraine’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.
March 4, 2025 at 5:57 PM
(1/3) It needs repeating: in 1994, Ukraine was persuaded to give up its nuclear weapons to Russia in return for the US, the UK, and Russia guaranteeing Ukraine’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.
Reposted by Aaron Snow
You might know us from the guides we have put together, like the de-risking guide and the UX guide. Governments all around the world have used them to make services more accessible and add more value to the public — all while saving millions of dollars. You can still find them here: 18f.org/guides/
18F Guides
A central resource for all 18F guides and methods
18f.org
March 3, 2025 at 6:19 PM
You might know us from the guides we have put together, like the de-risking guide and the UX guide. Governments all around the world have used them to make services more accessible and add more value to the public — all while saving millions of dollars. You can still find them here: 18f.org/guides/
Reposted by Aaron Snow
What happens when you force mission-driven, impact-craving public servants out of their job, their career?
I have no idea. I don’t think they all pack it in and go work for Fortune 500s. Somebody who could harness their energy and experience would reap big benefits.
I have no idea. I don’t think they all pack it in and go work for Fortune 500s. Somebody who could harness their energy and experience would reap big benefits.
March 3, 2025 at 2:29 PM
What happens when you force mission-driven, impact-craving public servants out of their job, their career?
I have no idea. I don’t think they all pack it in and go work for Fortune 500s. Somebody who could harness their energy and experience would reap big benefits.
I have no idea. I don’t think they all pack it in and go work for Fortune 500s. Somebody who could harness their energy and experience would reap big benefits.
Reposted by Aaron Snow
18F alum here. While I appreciate the well-deserved attention the 18F team is getting, let's address a fundamental misunderstanding of why 18F was so effective in working with other govt agencies to improve their digital services and why starting a consulting company is not a substitute. 1/
If you worked for 18F and got fired, Group together to start a consulting company.
It’s just a matter of time before DOGE needs you to fix the mess they inevitably create.
They will have to hire your company as a contractor to fix it. But on your terms.
I’m happy to invest and/or help
It’s just a matter of time before DOGE needs you to fix the mess they inevitably create.
They will have to hire your company as a contractor to fix it. But on your terms.
I’m happy to invest and/or help
March 2, 2025 at 4:30 PM
18F alum here. While I appreciate the well-deserved attention the 18F team is getting, let's address a fundamental misunderstanding of why 18F was so effective in working with other govt agencies to improve their digital services and why starting a consulting company is not a substitute. 1/
Reposted by Aaron Snow
You should know that a big part of 18F's work was to make sure multi-million to multi-*hundreds*-of-millions dollar contracts at fed *and* state level didn't go to shitty enterprise IT consultancies that *repeatedly* delivered tech that didn't work, was late, or didn't even do what it needed to
March 2, 2025 at 6:03 PM
You should know that a big part of 18F's work was to make sure multi-million to multi-*hundreds*-of-millions dollar contracts at fed *and* state level didn't go to shitty enterprise IT consultancies that *repeatedly* delivered tech that didn't work, was late, or didn't even do what it needed to
This is a good instinct @mcuban.bsky.social + so glad you're tuned into this.
I don't think DOGE will ever turn back to 18F.
But there are huge opportunities to invest now in a post-DOGE future of government services that's not just more efficient but more secure and transparent to the public.
I don't think DOGE will ever turn back to 18F.
But there are huge opportunities to invest now in a post-DOGE future of government services that's not just more efficient but more secure and transparent to the public.
If you worked for 18F and got fired, Group together to start a consulting company.
It’s just a matter of time before DOGE needs you to fix the mess they inevitably create.
They will have to hire your company as a contractor to fix it. But on your terms.
I’m happy to invest and/or help
It’s just a matter of time before DOGE needs you to fix the mess they inevitably create.
They will have to hire your company as a contractor to fix it. But on your terms.
I’m happy to invest and/or help
March 2, 2025 at 5:20 PM
This is a good instinct @mcuban.bsky.social + so glad you're tuned into this.
I don't think DOGE will ever turn back to 18F.
But there are huge opportunities to invest now in a post-DOGE future of government services that's not just more efficient but more secure and transparent to the public.
I don't think DOGE will ever turn back to 18F.
But there are huge opportunities to invest now in a post-DOGE future of government services that's not just more efficient but more secure and transparent to the public.
Reposted by Aaron Snow
former colleagues from 18F have asked me to share this open letter widely - please pass on 🙏 🇺🇸 💻💪 18f.org
We're not done yet | 18F
18f.org
March 1, 2025 at 10:16 PM
former colleagues from 18F have asked me to share this open letter widely - please pass on 🙏 🇺🇸 💻💪 18f.org
Reposted by Aaron Snow
Confirming what others have discussed or reported, 18F, the elite tech consultancy within TTS/GSA, was formally disbanded overnight. There’s a formal RIF, the legal system in which the government downsizes/layoff people. I’m told it’s 60 days on leave for all involved.
March 1, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Confirming what others have discussed or reported, 18F, the elite tech consultancy within TTS/GSA, was formally disbanded overnight. There’s a formal RIF, the legal system in which the government downsizes/layoff people. I’m told it’s 60 days on leave for all involved.
Reposted by Aaron Snow
Mourning 18F’s elimination as a former employee but even more so as a former 18F agency customer. Unlike DOGE, 18F did the hard work of cultural transformation and sharing their methods with other Feds as they helped improve services. They weren’t just techies, they were teachers.
18F, a digital services unit inside the General Services Administration, has been completely laid off, according to an email I’ve seen. The email says that 18F was deemed “non-critical” and the decision was made with the “explicit” direction of the administration and GSA leadership.
March 1, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Mourning 18F’s elimination as a former employee but even more so as a former 18F agency customer. Unlike DOGE, 18F did the hard work of cultural transformation and sharing their methods with other Feds as they helped improve services. They weren’t just techies, they were teachers.
Reposted by Aaron Snow
working at 18F was a highlight of my career: smart, passionate, dedicated people doing work to lessen friction and make people’s lives a little easier.
March 1, 2025 at 12:43 PM
working at 18F was a highlight of my career: smart, passionate, dedicated people doing work to lessen friction and make people’s lives a little easier.