STILL Off Topic - VOTE [7:56758]
Yes, indeed, VOTE. But, shall we take odds on the number of problems that will occur? :-) Many states are using new computerized systems. If these actually work in most cases, it will be a huge triumph for Information Technology. Back in 2000 I tried to get a discussion going about what an awful job IT did in letting states linger with 1970s punch-card technology. There were some general lessons to be learned there about the need to get rid of legacy technologies, etc.. But people thought I wanted to start a political discussion and refused to have a "best practices" discussion. I was bummed. ;-) But that's OK. It wasn't really Cisco-focused. But what do we know about these new computerized touch-screen systems? I heard that they were paperless. So is the data going to be transmited to a server somewhere? Are the devices connected via wireless or wired? Is there a Cisco switch? A router? How does the data get to the state authorities? How was the new system tested? What are the security issues, not to mention the reliability issues? Does it scare anyone else that we don't know anything about these systems? Shouldn't something about them be published? Did they go through a code reivew by experts in programming and security? Accoring to this article, Theresa LePore, the Queen of Chad, Supervisor of Elections in Palm Beach County, Florida, signed an agreement with Sequoia Voting Systems, the makers of Florida's new system, to protect their "trade secrets," which effectively prohibits any party contesting an election from examining the machine or its programming. Scary. http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0805-07.htm Then again, maybe everything will go smoothly. If it does, it's a great credit to the programmers and network administrators who made it work and troubleshooted problems that happened in real-time. ___ Priscilla Oppenheimer www.troubleshootingnetworks.com www.priscilla.com The Long and Winding Road wrote: > > For those United States residents, Tuesday is election day. No > politics > here. No flames here. You have a right and a privilege that is > rare in > today's world. Please take the appropriate amount of time to > get to your > polling place and exercise the right that many have fought and > died for. > Your vote DOES count. > > -- > > www.chuckslongroad.info > > Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=56867&t=56758 -- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: STILL Off Topic - VOTE [7:56758]
Priscilla, I agree that "if" the new computerized systems actually work it will be a triumph. Unfortunately, I'm too pessimistic about it. We all know what happens to end users when an application is changed, or even an OS, confusion reigns supreme. I think it's going to be a massive boondoggle on election day. The segment of the population that votes the most is also the segment that is going to be the most confused by the mere introduction of a computer into the process. I think as time goes on computerized voting will be the way it's done almost everywhere, but for now, I'm dreading the lawsuits after election day. This brings us to your points regarding these systems and what we actually know about them. I thought I remember reading somewhere that after the 2000 election MIT and Stanford did a study regarding new methods of voting and found that the computerized system wasn't a secure as everyone thought it would be. I'm not sure if that's correct, but I think I remember reading that. Not knowing the process of how these systems work also makes me wonder how "secret" your ballot is. If a record is kept of each person voting, how hard would it be to keep track of who they voted for? I agree with you that not enough has been made known about them. Which brings us to the final problem. What happens when the voters complain " the network is slow". :-) ""Priscilla Oppenheimer"" wrote in message news:200211050315.DAA24012@;groupstudy.com... > Yes, indeed, VOTE. But, shall we take odds on the number of problems that > will occur? :-) Many states are using new computerized systems. If these > actually work in most cases, it will be a huge triumph for Information > Technology. Back in 2000 I tried to get a discussion going about what an > awful job IT did in letting states linger with 1970s punch-card technology. > There were some general lessons to be learned there about the need to get > rid of legacy technologies, etc.. But people thought I wanted to start a > political discussion and refused to have a "best practices" discussion. I > was bummed. ;-) But that's OK. It wasn't really Cisco-focused. > > But what do we know about these new computerized touch-screen systems? I > heard that they were paperless. So is the data going to be transmited to a > server somewhere? Are the devices connected via wireless or wired? Is there > a Cisco switch? A router? How does the data get to the state authorities? > How was the new system tested? What are the security issues, not to mention > the reliability issues? Does it scare anyone else that we don't know > anything about these systems? Shouldn't something about them be published? > Did they go through a code reivew by experts in programming and security? > > Accoring to this article, Theresa LePore, the Queen of Chad, Supervisor of > Elections in Palm Beach County, Florida, signed an agreement with Sequoia > Voting Systems, the makers of Florida's new system, to protect their "trade > secrets," which effectively prohibits any party contesting an election from > examining the machine or its programming. Scary. > > http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0805-07.htm > > Then again, maybe everything will go smoothly. If it does, it's a great > credit to the programmers and network administrators who made it work and > troubleshooted problems that happened in real-time. > > ___ > > Priscilla Oppenheimer > www.troubleshootingnetworks.com > www.priscilla.com > > The Long and Winding Road wrote: > > > > For those United States residents, Tuesday is election day. No > > politics > > here. No flames here. You have a right and a privilege that is > > rare in > > today's world. Please take the appropriate amount of time to > > get to your > > polling place and exercise the right that many have fought and > > died for. > > Your vote DOES count. > > > > -- > > > > www.chuckslongroad.info Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=56895&t=56758 -- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: STILL Off Topic - VOTE [7:56758]
""Jim Haynes"" wrote in message news:200211051333.NAA03406@;groupstudy.com... > Priscilla, > I agree that "if" the new computerized systems actually work > it will be a triumph. Unfortunately, I'm too pessimistic about it. We all > know what happens to end users when an application is changed, or even an > OS, confusion reigns supreme. I think it's going to be a massive boondoggle > on election day. The segment of the population that votes the most is also > the segment that is going to be the most confused by the mere introduction > of a computer into the process. I think as time goes on computerized voting > will be the way it's done almost everywhere, but for now, I'm dreading the > lawsuits after election day. > > This brings us to your points regarding these systems and what > we actually know about them. I thought I remember reading somewhere that > after the 2000 election MIT and Stanford did a study regarding new methods > of voting and found that the computerized system wasn't a secure as everyone > thought it would be. I'm not sure if that's correct, but I think I remember > reading that. Not knowing the process of how these systems work also makes > me wonder how "secret" your ballot is. If a record is kept of each person > voting, how hard would it be to keep track of who they voted for? I agree > with you that not enough has been made known about them. > > Which brings us to the final problem. What happens when the > voters complain " the network is slow". :-) > CL: much as I hate to continue this thread, Florida spent a lot of money on new computers for voting. During the primaries, a number of polling places had problems when poll workers couldn't figure out how to turn them on. There were also reported problems when people couldn't figure out how to touch the screen to make their choice. CL: for the general election, Florida had a "vote early" campaign. People could come in over the space of a few days,. The idea was to give poll workers a chance to learn how to use the systems and how to help people. So many voters showed up that the experience was miserable for all. CL: lessons learned: training - absolute necessity, and you can't have too much of it. computerization does not necessarily solve all problems. users are still users. > > > > > ""Priscilla Oppenheimer"" wrote in message > news:200211050315.DAA24012@;groupstudy.com... > > Yes, indeed, VOTE. But, shall we take odds on the number of problems that > > will occur? :-) Many states are using new computerized systems. If these > > actually work in most cases, it will be a huge triumph for Information > > Technology. Back in 2000 I tried to get a discussion going about what an > > awful job IT did in letting states linger with 1970s punch-card > technology. > > There were some general lessons to be learned there about the need to get > > rid of legacy technologies, etc.. But people thought I wanted to start a > > political discussion and refused to have a "best practices" discussion. I > > was bummed. ;-) But that's OK. It wasn't really Cisco-focused. > > > > But what do we know about these new computerized touch-screen systems? I > > heard that they were paperless. So is the data going to be transmited to a > > server somewhere? Are the devices connected via wireless or wired? Is > there > > a Cisco switch? A router? How does the data get to the state authorities? > > How was the new system tested? What are the security issues, not to > mention > > the reliability issues? Does it scare anyone else that we don't know > > anything about these systems? Shouldn't something about them be published? > > Did they go through a code reivew by experts in programming and security? > > > > Accoring to this article, Theresa LePore, the Queen of Chad, Supervisor of > > Elections in Palm Beach County, Florida, signed an agreement with Sequoia > > Voting Systems, the makers of Florida's new system, to protect their > "trade > > secrets," which effectively prohibits any party contesting an election > from > > examining the machine or its programming. Scary. > > > > http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0805-07.htm > > > > Then again, maybe everything will go smoothly. If it does, it's a great > > credit to the programmers and network administrators who made it work and > > troubleshooted problems that happened in real-time. > > > > ___ > > > > Priscilla Oppenheimer > > www.troubleshootingnetworks.com > > www.priscilla.com > > > > The Long and Winding Road wrote: > > > > > > For those United States residents, Tuesday is election day. No > > > politics > > > here. No flames here. You have a right and a privilege that is > > > rare in > > > today's world. Please take the appropriate amount of time to > > > get to your > > > polling place and exercise the right that many have fought and > > > died for. > > > Your vote DOES count. > > > > > > -- > > > > > > www.chuckslongroad.info
