The Geek Speaks

We are bombarded with the need to make things digital and get off of paper based solutions but all that does is take your paper based approach and codify antiquated processes and problems. We should be re-evaluating and fixing the process through user research and testing not just moving things... [Read More]

Throughout my career, I’ve solved all kinds of technical challenges—migrating data across systems, scaling infrastructure, debugging impossible issues at 2am and while none of those are easy, they tend to follow patterns. There’s usually a right tool, a best practice, a known tradeoff. One hard truth that I have learned... [Read More]

Thirty years in technology is more than just a career, it is a lifetime of learning and changes in opinions. My journey started at the help desk at the State of New York, troubleshooting problems for frustrated users in the welfare system and learning the foundational skills of IT support.... [Read More]

Lots has changed since my last post. I am a business owner, a married man, a home owner but I still a geek of many feathers. My business Holmes Consulting Group Inc. was founded in 2021 when I was in discussion with Prince William County to become their Director of... [Read More]

The recent executive order establishing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) by reorganizing and renaming the United States Digital Service (USDS) raises significant concerns for the civic tech ecosystem. By restructuring USDS, the government risks closing avenues for non-traditional technologists to contribute their expertise to public service, potentially stifling... [Read More]