E-Voting Cos. Reveal Software to Feds

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=528&ncid=528&e=6&u=/ap/20041027/ap_on_hi_te/electronic_voting_software_2

~snip~

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The nation's largest voting machine companies are submitting millions of lines of code to the National Software Reference Library to address sharp criticism from computer scientists about the secret software used in elections.


But executives at the voting machine makers said Tuesday they would not submit their most valuable data — their proprietary source code. And they might not provide the library with copies of software patches, updates and upgrades.


Computer scientists said the conciliatory gesture wouldn't help ensure the integrity of next week's presidential election, when as many as 29 million Americans will cast electronic ballots. Some researchers worry that hackers, software bugs, ill-trained poll workers or power outages could intentionally or accidentally erase or alter voting data.


"This is a step in the right direction," said Doug Jones, associate professor at the University of Iowa's computer science department. "I just wish these steps had been taken earlier. I say hooray, but it's a long-term benefit with some pretty glaring caveats."

[flyingfysh]

1. this is no good

Just because software is given to the Feds, that doesn't mean that that was what was actually run. And undocumented patches can make it do absolutely anything.

[Joanne98]

2. Hi leftchick

My computers been broke so I'm at the college. What's the latest on the e-voting scandal, do you know?

[leftchick]

3. This article appears to be the latest...

too little too late is the way I read it. As far as activism there still is a lot to do. Check out Bev Harris's site at ...
http://blackboxvoting.org/

She has Clean Up Crew connections for every state. It is up to the Activists now, and probably a lot of lawyers as well. As Bev has said, It is going to be a train wreck!

[Joanne98]

4. Thank's lefty.

[whistle]

5. Millions of lines of code?????

...what in the world is so complicated about a tabulation program (counts, checks and drops votes into buckets). Source code is the only code that would be verifiable with truth table tests since the compiled code would only disclose when the known votes going in don't reconcile with the votes counted on the other end. The questions of integrity have to do with tracing the logic.

This is such a boon-doggle issue, the fat cat software companies are making this sound like rocket science so they can price gouge the fees. There are no secrets to be kept about a counting system. The display screens are typically shelf software also, and once the processes and designs are completed, the client has every right to the source codes for that. Nothing needs to be kept secret, there are no intellectual property rights that these software houses can claim in these applications.

[MrMonk]

6. Perhaps they program in COBOL

:evilgrin:

[whistle]

10. That's like using ancient greek with these new touch screen machines...

...I can't believe that they would go back 40 years on software language like that

[Leafy Geneva]

7. Of course, alll of this code should be open source!

Who in the world could possibly be in favor of having secret methods of tabluating the votes from an election???

What's the BIG SECRET?

[newyawker99]

9. Hi Leafy Geneva!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Deja Q]

17. welcome to DU! Plus,

it should be open source but only a handful of trusted people be allowed to make changes.

Unfortunately, who can be trusted?

[Robert Oak]

11. with thousands of out of work computer engineers

who had their jobs outsourced just itching and capable to
figure out any bullshit.

[Rjnerd]

13. It gets complicated when...

you are keeping 3 sets of books.

[w4rma]

8. Feds? So they let the Bush campaign look at the code but noone else. (nt)

[sangh0]

12. Code, but not source code

They're giving them the binary??

Tha's close to useless.

And they're not giving them "proprietary software"?? WTF does that mean? Are they just sending them the MS ACCESS install CD?

[ParanoidPat]

14. Here's a Windows install disk......

.....sorry we can't give you any applications, updates or security patches! :(

[ThoughtCriminal]

15. Almost Completely Useless

Without source, patches updates and upgrades.

I think what we may need is random testing of machines destined for the polls where they don't know what machines are going to be tested.

[Carolab]

16. That's an excellent suggestion

have you suggested it to BEV?