A Link to the Shadow Inc. App That Blew Up the Iowa Caucus
vice.com
vice.com
E voting shouldn’t exist. How badly it was implemented is moot.
Even if the software was compromised, the incorrect numbers would be detected by independent checks — the same checks you have to do anyway to guard against data entry errors and typos in Excel formulas — and the correct results could still be calculated. There was no way a hack could have done anything worse than delay the release of the results, leak the results prematurely, or possibly induce the party to release some manipulated initial results if they were careless enough not to do any internal verification before releasing the results to public scrutiny.
Everything involved in running an election can be done poorly. If we unconditionally rail against software being used at all, then sure, we can show off our clean hands when something goes wrong. But we accomplish nothing to stop someone who doesn't know better from hiring a contractor who, like in this case, doesn't do the job responsibly.
This software should exist. It should be subjected to an independent security audit, thoroughly tested, supplemented with user training, and trusted only if the results are independently verified at every step. Which is to say, not really trusted. But it should exist.
Why Electronic Voting Is Still A Bad Idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkH2r-sNjQs
It's also a standard incrementalism tatic.
> It’s also a standard incrementalism tatic
This assumes the public is smart enough to make an informed distinction now but will lose that ability in the future.
You just assert this. I see no justification in your post.
Also it can immediately provide one calculation of the results and present the data immediately for others to replicate the calculations. The more quickly we get to this step, the more opportunity for independent verification.
Again nothing about this says it has to be done by software. If you've already asserted it's being done by software, then yes it will be done by software.
But if you don't have that assumption, you don't reach that conclusion.
Could literally do the same thing extremely well with an ncurses program and a damn ssh link back to home.
Could literally have done the same thing with Google docs.
But no it's gotta be an app so Susan can use her smartphone. This is an official event, not an ad hoc conversation during soccer practice. Yet, apparently no one could setup a small desktop or a laptop to handle a singularly simple task and do it well.
Instead, social onus and seemingly common wisdom says everything must be a fancy looking app, and proceeds to throw 60k down the drain to accomplish nothing.
I'm impressed.