Slashdot Mirror
E-Voting Company Reveals Their Source Code
Kodi writes "VoteHere has decided to release their source code so that other people will have confidence in it (MSNBC, press release.) It's definitely NOT open source (unlike OVC) but it's still a step in the right direction."
http://www.slashcode.com
Is this not the slashdot source code?
The key element of Open Source is the insight from a million minds into security, feasibility and programming efficiency;
Oh, you must have missed the part where it said "To avoid any doubt, this Software is not being licensed on an open source basis.".
It's called compliance with export law. Plenty of software companies have this restriction listed (for a long time you had to check the box to download Acrobat Reader until the export restriction were loosened slightly).
this is getting old and so are you
blog
How to explain that every Congressional race in Maryland, for example, won by the same margin, of 818,181 votes? Funny how those numerals translated to HA HA HA in alpha characters..... www.countthevotecolorado.org
i hope this software will help prevent such things...(if it not cause it...)
This doesn't have a damn thing to do with open source, don't fool yourself. This has to do with accountability and the public perception that e-voting machines don't have any. The license isn't open source because it doesn't need to be.
The code is reviewable, so it can be audited to avoid the kind of debacles diebold is facing. It's a marketing move, and a move that is in the public interest. Intead of complaining that it wasn't released in the license you like you should be grateful that it is available for review at all.
Open source is good, but that doesn't mean something is bad just because you can't do with it what you want.
I realize that it takes a bit more effort the RTFA, but in the pdf include in the source they make it very plain how to submit bugs:
/or section number.
Reporting an Issue
VoteHere appreciates your e(R)orts in helping us identify and resolve issues and
inaccuracies with our products, specifications and documentation. If you feel you
have identified an issue with the VHTi API or documentation set, please proceed
with the following steps for submitting the issue to the VoteHere support team:
1. Record the version number of the API or document you are referencing,
and if documentation-related note the page and
2. Record and document the issue as clearly and in as much detail as possible.
3. Record your name, company name, and a telephone number where you can
be reached during normal business hours.
4. Contact VoteHere using one of the following methods:
Email: support@votehere.net
Fax: 1.425.450.2861
Phone: 1.888.457.6863
"If you're flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit." - Mitch Hedberg
I believe the statistic is that only 1 out of every 10 person (correct me if I am wrong) in America votes in the presidential election.
That's incorrect. In 2000, there were over 105,000,000 votes cast. This was 51.3% of the voting age population of 205,815,000 and 67.5% of the 156,421,311 registered voters.
Source: Federal Election Commission
ich muß mehr Kuhglocke haben
Much more interesting than the source is the following document:
u f. pdf ...describing a neat method of establishing a voter-verifiable ballot data that makes it quite difficult for single terminals to "cheat".
http://www.votehere.com/vhti/documentation/egsh
Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria
This is voting software, with which one would run an election in a democracy. Wouldn't we be happy if these countries downloaded and used it?
Perhaps. But US law prohibits (or with certain countries severely restricts) US persons and companies from having any business dealings whatsoever with any person or company in any of those countries. The sancations vary from country to country with an outright ban on dealings with Cuba and lesser restrictions on other countries. This is all administered by the Office for Foreign Asset Control (OFAC).
So the site just has standard terms and conditions to protect itself. I'm sure if a country on this list wanted to turn to democracy then an export licence would be granted on an exceptional basis.
"You can look for 60 days, but if you touch, we own anything you modify. Oh, and we can can your license at any time and for any reason, and you also agree that we can and should gag you if you say anything that might be detrimental to our business."
We'll, that certainly inclines me to view their source in a charitable light.
If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.