Dominion of the Nerds SIR: David Alexander’s “By the Nerds, For the Nerds” (September 2009) is a welcome breath of fresh air for any consumer, actual or potential, of government services. Perhaps, however, he could have emphasised somewhat more the role of the nerds in job creation and status enhancement for the nerds themselves. The 500 per cent growth in Canberra’s population over the past forty years tells its own story. In government circles, more staff means more authority and status. It could be instructive to explore departmental budgets over any given period to determine what proportion of their expenditure…