Embattled Diebold withdraws from North Carolina
posted Nov 30th 2005 1:10PM
In a classic case of "if we don't play my way I'm taking my toys and going home," electronic voting machine manufacturer Diebold has announced that it will no longer do business in North Carolina because the state refused to grant an exception that would let Diebold keep its source code secret. After more voting machine blunders in 2004 (little things, like how it was discovered that even monkeys can hack Diebold gear), North Carolina passed a law that requires e-voting vendors to place their source codes in escrow as a precaution against future irregularities, meaning that the state is not even asking Diebold to reveal its code publicly. Nonetheless, Diebold claims that because their machines contain some Microsoft software, they don't have to right to release the code. Okay folks, which explanation sounds more reasonable: A. Diebold is willing to lose an entire state's worth of business in order to protect Microsoft or themselves on the off-chance of a successful lawsuit or B. Diebold is petrified that their code is so full of security flaws, and other "issues" that should it ever be scrutinized, the company would most likely go out of business? Now before you answer, remember once again that this is Diebold we're talking about here.
Geez
Whether or not there's a political conspiracy, or whether or not elections were "stolen," can't both sides agree that an election device with no transparency which is reported to have failed widely and is open to potential abuse is something we shouldn't be using?
I mean - I'm sure we can agree that dead people and non-citizens shouldn't be voting either.
Also, the "American Center for Voting Rights" is a paper-tiger front group, and scarcely even exists:
http://www.bradblog.com/ACVR.htm
I think you will find in my comments no defense of Diebold, and to the contrary, the point that Ohio turned down the new voting machines in 2004 just as North Carolina is doing now, and that I have stated exactly those things on which you think we should all agree, despite being one of these "right wingers" in question. The only point on which I took exception was in the supposed thieving of Ohio 2004 by Diebold when we did not even use their machines.
And somehow, legitimate or not, I doubt that the ACVR writes press releases for the Ohio Democrat Party, or feeds testimony to the black Democrat Chariman both of the Franklin County Election Board and the Franklin County Democrat Party about whether blacks and Democrats were disenfranchised. Paper tiger or straw man?
It's "Democratic" when used as an adjective. The "Democratic Party," for instance.
If you were not posting in defense of the use of Diebold machine, I guess that part of my post wasn't directed at you. The Engadget article in question didn't editorialize on "stolen elctions" or "Republican conspiracies". It just said that the Diebold machines are notoriously unreliable, opaque, and unsecure. I fail to see how this is a politically biased point.
The part that was referring to your post specifically was your reference to an ACVR statement regarding the relative incidence of "voter intimidation and suppression". The ACVR isn't a reliable source.
I love when people say “we won and you lost”. Who is we? Unless you are playing in the Millionaires club, you are not part of “we” DUMASS! All you are left with are crumbs, a crap economy, high gas prices, job cuts, pollution and dead solders, while the real “we” stuff their pockets with historical oil profits and war profiteering.
And the worst part is this blind idol worship that we have been witnessing. It’s kinda queer if you ask me and it’s down right un-Christian and un-American. No MAN is above you! No MAN deserves your blind loyalty! Educate yourself and QUESTION EVERYTHING!
'IMMACULATE CERTIFICATION'! DIEBOLD ALLOWED IN NORTH CAROLINA AFTER ALL!
Voting Company Apparently Just Kidding About Pulling Out of State!
Former Diebold Rep, Now on NC Election Advisory Board Certifies Diebold, Despite Apparent Failure to Comply with State Law Requiring Source Code Escrow!
Surprise! Diebold got certified in North Carolina today. In what the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is calling the "Immaculate Certification" the North Carolina State Board of Elections has decided to certify Diebold. This is the same Diebold that three days ago said that they would have to pull out of consideration in the state because they were not willing to put their buggy software source code from their flawed Voting Machines into escrow claiming they had third-party software that could not be submitted to the state. This is the same Diebold that, as BRAD BLOG correctly surmised, were apparently making faux claims about their need to pull out of NC due to a court's refusal to allow them exemption from that state law. But what else is new for a company like Diebold?
And who made the decision to go ahead and ignore the code and certify Diebold? A gentleman by the name of Keith Long was hired to be in charge of the process for the state. And what are Mr. Long's credentials to handle this job? Mr. Long was one of the Diebold representatives responsible for previously selling the Diebold voting system to the state of Georgia.
URL: http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002105.htm
"The ACVR isn't a reliable source."
So these acts of vandalism and voter registration fraud did not in fact take place?
"It just said that the Diebold machines are notoriously unreliable, opaque, and unsecure. I fail to see how this is a politically biased point."
It wasn't. I was just referring to the canard that Diebold threw the election in Ohio, not to the notorious unreliability of the Diebold machines themselves. The fact that Ohio didn't use those machines is a testament to that same unreliability and I shed not a tear for them. I repeat my call for an open-source solution just in case there's any further question about my stance.
"All you are left with are crumbs, a crap economy, high gas prices, job cuts, pollution and dead solders, while the real “we” stuff their pockets with historical oil profits and war profiteering."
Considering the economy's been up several points each of the last few years, gas is back down around $2, unemployment is the lowest it's been since 9/11, I'm not sure what exactly you're complaining about. And since the government makes twice as much profit per gallon as the oil companies, are you sure your oil profiteering charges are being properly directed?
"It’s kinda queer if you ask me and it’s down right un-Christian and un-American."
Is it Christian and/or American to refer to something derogatively as "queer"?
Black box voting systems are the most damaging works that you could put in place in a democracy. At it's most basic level it is thusly: put in place a piece of equipment that will vote for you.
Let me put it in terms that right wingers can understand: Instead of leaving your house and driving to the polling place, stay at home and send me an email on what candidates you want your vote to register for. I'll take care of the rest.
Oh and by the way, I'm going to charge your state government millions of dollars for doing this very badly.
I think I just came up with a new startup company.
Black box voting systems are the most damaging works that you could put in place in a democracy. At it's most basic level it is thusly: put in place a piece of equipment that will vote for you.
Let me put it in terms that right wingers can understand: Instead of leaving your house and driving to the polling place, stay at home and send me an email on what candidates you want your vote to register for. I'll take care of the rest.
Oh and by the way, I'm going to charge your state government millions of dollars for doing this very badly.
I think I just came up with a new startup company.
Well great. I believe I get the last word on this one ;^)...
"Considering the economy's been up several points each of the last few years" - Excluding the housing market, true independent numbers say something different.
"gas is back down around $2" - You fell for the oldest NYC 14th Street trick in the book. Raise prices super high and bring them back down to numbers higher than you started. And did I mention those SOB oil execs that painted a gloom and doom picture (supply, processing, hurricanes in the gulf) then 4 months later revealed historical profits (and only because they are required to)? FACE IT, WE GOT GOUGED PERIOD!
"unemployment is the lowest it's been since 9/11" - Nice try. What about the hundreds of thousands that are no longer counted either because unemployment expired or they stop looking. How’s that 30k GM layoff sit with you? (GM sided with the oil crowd and continued to make gas guzzlers while the writing was on the wall – they must have forgotten that the car business is hypercompetitive, DOPES!) What sucks is that the employees suffer for it. Oh, and WHY CROW ABOUT SUCH FEEBLE JOB CREATION.
"I'm not sure what exactly you're complaining about. And since the government makes twice as much profit per gallon as the oil companies, are you sure your oil profiteering charges are being properly directed?" - You know it just bugged me allot when a map of Iraq showed up which carved up the country like a Texas Longhorn showing the oil company’s each claming their swatch of land. And you know what else? It was drawn up way before the war.
I had a discussion with a wing nut once who said (very honestly) "we are not gonna let that tin pot dictator threaten our oil, we are an oil economy and when we take over that country gas will be 50 cent per gallon" I would love to talk to him now and ask him how that 50 cent per gallon doing? What makes it worst is the millions of barrel of un-metered oil that leave that country each month. The millionaire oil Execs could care less about you or what’s good for the country. THEY ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN STUFFING THEIR POCKETS WHILE THEIR PALS ARE IN OFFICE!
"Is it Christian and/or American to refer to something derogatively as "queer"? - Queer as in Odd or Unusual, get it? Don’t project your homophobia on to me!
You know what else I left out? Those RECORD DEFICITS that our children will have to pay for. Oh and do you know that this administration has borrowed more money from foreign country's than all other administrations COMBINED?!
I close by saying what I said above: "I love when people say “we won and you lost”. Who is WE? Unless you are playing in the Millionaires club, YOU ARE NOT PART OF “WE” DUMASS!
DIEBOLD and their questionable machines only serve to further erode the meaning of the words “WE THE PEOPLE!”
http://www.eci.gov.in/EVM/
Thats the Electronic Voting Machine we are using in India, and its completely electronic all throughout India now for all elections.
This is a Business IQ test. If they walked because they did not want to escrow source code, they failled the test. I have been in the software industry for 35 years and was the CEO of a public software company. Software companies routinely establish source code escrow accounts. There is no way Diebold would walk away from business over this issue. They either have something bad to hide or they're business idiots.