Open Gov @ NASA = We'll Get Back to You - Maybe

Why should NASA widely publicize a IT security event? Please use some common sense before you rag on these people.

Editor's note: Huh? "IT Security Event"? You obviously did not read very carefully.

NASA appears to have no interest in getting the news out. Remember this?
http://www.spacemart.com/reports/Satellites_get_new_lives_new_jobs_999.html
Those birds had been on the way for about nine months before anyone in the PIO appeared to wake up to the fact. And it was a pretty damned good story, too; too good to go uncovered.
I know a little about this stuff, and I am strongly tempted to say that with a blog, a cell phone, a $400 video camera, and an air travel card, I could do a better job of covering NASA science and tech than the whole PIO -- which seems to think it's job is shilling for management and slanting "news" releases to aid the bureaucracy.
There is a crying need for a PIO shop that excites interest in space technology and the wonderful research that goes on in NASA.
Start breaking news people, there's a lot there. Dump the PR attitude and start thinking like journos.

I'll tell you one thing...They sure weren't working on the Shuttle's replacement!!!!

While there are many good folks at NASA PAO, there are also many who have given up and are now just going through the motions, awaiting retirement. The system beats the creativity and passion out of people, so by the time they have seniority, all they want to do is get through the day. And without the budget to hire fresh blood, they are doomed to repeat this cycle of ineffectiveness year after year. It is one of the great frustrations of NASA employees that may have new ideas but are loath to suggest them for fear of alienating managers or the current political appointee's pet projects. So what do they do? Play the waiting game.

Just what is your problem with the fact that these people are "Generation Y"? What's that supposed to mean. I don't get it.

Frank;

What you describe goes well beyond the public affairs office. NASA got on this kick a few years ago of promoting a bunch of 20 and 30-somethings into management and placing the senior experience out to pasture. You saw that recently with the departure of Wayne Hale for no good reason at all.

As exhibited by the poor performance of the young and inexperienced in Constellation, they have not a clue of how to do the job, and the oldsters have decided its not worth the effort to help when they've been told that their time has come and gone.

There is another problem with this scenario. When the civil service went to the new retirement system in 1984, it meant that it really does not pay for most of the civil servants to leave at age 52 or whenever they get tired of it. Used to be they'd leave and come back to work with a contractor. Now they are more likely to hang on to at least age 62, and maybe even aged 70, since that is when they'll get their full social security and full NASA retirement.

Once again the short-sighted NASA management has screwed up.