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Using the Internet To Subvert Democracy

Posted by kdawson on from the you-thought-diebold-was-bad dept.

david_adams writes "All the recent talk about various polls and elections being pranked or hijacked, serious and silly alike, prompted me to write an article about the technical realities behind online polling, and the political fallout of ever becoming subject to online voting for serious elections. Even if we were to be able to limit voting to legitimate, legal voters, the realities of social networking and the rise of Internet-based movements would dramatically alter the political landscape if online voting were to become commonplace."

8 of 202 comments (clear)

  1. Missing option? by Tokerat · · Score: 1, Funny

    CowboyNeal

    --
    CAn'T CompreHend SARcaSm?
  2. Re:Elections and online voting. by symbolset · · Score: 5, Funny

    Until computers are granted suffrage they ought not be trusted to count votes.

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    Help stamp out iliturcy.
  3. Re:Dumb article. by blitzkrieg3 · · Score: 2, Funny

    (translation: Internet people would be heard for the first time)

    And considering the types of subcultures the Internet puts out (ahem: 4chan) I'm not sure that's a good thing.

  4. Re:Robustness by taucross · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's not subversion, but one could still consider it forked.

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    "In the absence of the ability to establish the attribute of truth they tried to establish the noble attributes."
  5. Subvert 'Democracy'?-HahHahHaHooHeeeHah! by rts008 · · Score: 2, Funny

    "All the recent talk about various polls and elections being pranked or hijacked, serious and silly alike, prompted me to write an article about the technical realities behind online polling, and the political fallout of ever becoming subject to online voting for serious elections. Even if we were to be able to limit voting to legitimate, legal voters, the realities of social networking and the rise of Internet-based movements would dramatically alter the political landscape if online voting were to become commonplace.

    "[all emphasis mine]

    Yes!1 Yes!1 Abso-fscking-lutely!1!
    Let's put EVERY-FSCKING-THING that determines/influences our political process online!...ASAP!
    The only realistic questions become then are:

    1. "Should we concentrate on learning Russian, Chinese, or both?" (least pessimistic scenario)
    2. Will 'Twitter' take over Congress, and sentient life?(do not confuse the two to your detriment)
    3. ???
    4.Profit!!!**

    What could possibly go wrong???? (Hint: I am learning Russian)

    ** Can I still post on /. if I voted for CowboyNeal?

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    Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
  6. Re:Dumb article. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    i find it hard to believe there was no mischief behind moot getting 16m votes

    Mischief? 4chan? Pffft. We never go any further than shenanigans, I'll have you know!

    At one point moot may have > 300% of the vote, however. Also, marblecake, also the game.

  7. Re:Ladies and gentlemen, the future: by Opportunist · · Score: 2, Funny

    They already made a movie of it.

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    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  8. End Women's Suffrage -- on YouTube by supercrisp · · Score: 2, Funny

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUP9Jm9SqvY