Comments on: “Participatory Exploration” @SEDS SpaceVision

By: Justin Kugler

Justin Kugler — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:36:56 +0000

Keith, as I pointed out with the JSC engagement teams, I’d say that’s already happening. At the very least, it is happening in Houston. I can’t speak for the other centers because I’ve not really been involved in those wider discussions.

By: Skytland

Skytland — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:31:54 +0000

Re: NASA Careers –
Brian, Ash, Justin, I wanted to respond to your discussion about NASA careers, but it was longer than I expected, so I just made it a new post: http://www.opennasa.com/2008/1.....a-careers/. Hope this helps!

By: Keith Cowing

Keith Cowing — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:30:48 +0000

I hate to break it to you Justin but if this is the attitude you are going to take then you will have zero effect on transforming the agency. People will fight you – and they will win. Not only do you need to fight back, you need to do so while exhibiting some of the collaborative behavior that your Gen Y compatriots so often confess to believing in. Simply giving up on a dialog and taking your ball and going home because someone bullies you results in you not having a game to play in – and leaves the bullies to have the run of the playground. Make the bullies your allies – win them over with logic and with deeds.

Longer post on NASA Watch. Thanks for stopping by!

By: Open NASA » Blog Archive » Re: NASA Careers

Open NASA » Blog Archive » Re: NASA Careers — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:27:54 +0000

[...] the comment section of the “Participatory Exploration” post, a few comments referred to employment at NASA. I started to respond to the comments, [...]

By: Justin Kugler

Justin Kugler — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:52:31 +0000

I offered my own thoughts on that today at NASA Watch, Keith. Put bluntly, most of the people I know just don’t see the value in stepping into what they perceive to be an unnecessary gauntlet.

Reading the SciGuy blog at the Houston Chronicle’s website is what ostensibly started my own blogging, but I don’t even pay as much attention there as I used to because it’s seemingly overrun with people who just want to argue that global warming is a hoax and insult anyone who disagrees.

While you might bring up valid points yourself as the editor, my perception is that much of your audience is so hostile that I think it turns off a lot of the OpenNASA crowd.

By: Brian Shiro

Brian Shiro — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:34:55 +0000

I have a somewhat similar story to Justin. As an undergraduate, I was an intern at JSC, and as a graduate student, I interned briefly at both GSFC and JPL. However, none of that seems to matter when trying to get NASA civil servant jobs. I agree with Ash and Justin, that NASA needs recruitment options in addition to the coop program.

By: Justin Kugler

Justin Kugler — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:21:56 +0000

Ash, that’s actually a very big issue and it is being discussed. In my own experience, I did three summer internships at JSC as an undergraduate. I had a spot as a full co-op waiting for me, but my undergraduate adviser decided I was being greedy and she wouldn’t sign off to let me in the program.

Despite three tours at JSC, nearly three years of civil service as an intel officer, and repeated applications at USAJobs, I have only ever gotten interviews and job offers from contractors. If you aren’t an official NASA co-op, you pretty much have to know a civil servant who is willing to help you get in.

By: Ash

Ash — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:21:09 +0000

Great presentation. My main question is how exactly do you get into NASA without the Co-op program and with today’s economy. Many schools don’t have co-op programs that link them with NASA. The economy is crashing leaving possibly cuts in the tech sector looming, and NASA looks like it may be headed for budge cuts soon. Most people I’ve talked to see getting into NASA as a black box, and I have to agree.

By: Keith Cowing

Keith Cowing — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:42:05 +0000

I have featured this presentation on NASA Watch. Right now y’all are getting beat up over this (again) and I see little attempt (other than one notable exception) on the part of this community to defend what was presented and how it was presented. If you folks cannot or will not defend yourselves against the criticism (fair and unfair) thrown at you, how do you expect to transform NASA?

By: Keith Cowing

Keith Cowing — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:57:11 +0000

Earlier this year a number of younger NASA employees briefed ( http://www.nasawatch.com/archi.....pitch.html ) NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale on Web 2.0 and Gen Y issues at an SMC meeting. They were tasked to come back with some ideas/projects. It has been more than 6 months. Were those ideas/projects ever presented to NASA HQ? Is this a preview?