Computerworld: US - Style Electronic Voting Compromised

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

No ‘trade secrets’ if electronic voting to succeed
Software often written without taking into account its effects,
says professor

By Stephen Bell, Wellington | Wednesday, 19 July, 2006

A designer would never get away with building a bridge without
considering how it would affect nearby roads, houses and the
local community, yet software is often written without taking
into account its effect on the various “stakeholders”,
says Professor Don Gotterbarn...

Gotterbarn used electronic voting as a prime example of such failure.
He told horror stories about US counties returning eight times as many
votes as there were people, and of voting terminals seemingly designed
with no thought as to whether or not they were actually usable...

US-style electronic voting is further compromised by a “confidential”
attitude which greets questions concerning inconsistencies in the
system with the stock response, “That’s a trade secret”, says Gotterbarn...
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/BA40E9ABAD9BED91CC2571AB0003AEBF

[mom cat]

1. Great article and bound to have an impact! ... WOOT!

:toast:

[unhappycamper]

2. Computerworld is read by folks in the IT biz.

We know how easy is it to hack....

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

4. hey question about the billboard in your message

Hey, can you advise where that billboard was put up?

I am a member of a grassroots impeachment group, and I think
the billboard would be a great idea.

http://www.impeachbush.tv/impeach/bystate.html

[unhappycamper]

5. It was on I-95 in Providence, RI.

It is part of the Carl Sheeler campaign.

[longship]

3. Interesting.

For those who haven't been in the computer industry very long, Computerworld--or as some of us call it, Computerwhirled--is probably the most conservative (in the dictionary sense) computer publication in the business. They were headlining articles about large mainframe computers long after every other industry news source had abandoned writing about those dinosaurs. Computerworld has had a history of being years behind the cutting edge trends. That's why I've not read it in years although I could get a free subscription any time I want.

So this is somewhat surprising. Maybe the fact that this is from New Zealand is why.

[Kurovski]

6. One more recommendation to go.

The computer experts know e-voting is a very bad idea.

[rumpel]

7. 5th!

:)

[rman]

8. ...consistently "failing" in favor of Republicans,

and owned by supporters of the Republican party.

All just coincidence, of course.