Jim Flowers: Legislation and Policy

Fri, 23 Apr 2004 13:57:35 GMT

Just testing something...

Here are Long County's election results.

Wed, 08 Oct 2003 00:41:49 GMT

Time to Recall E-Vote Machines?. Recent reports claim the software in Diebold electronic voting machines is insecure. But the policies and procedures for using the system in California's recall election raise concerns that the software isn't the only problem. By Kim Zetter. [Wired News]

Thu, 25 Sep 2003 00:02:14 GMT

Can Diebold Be This Stupid?. BlackBoxBoting.org says lawyers for Diebold, maker of electronic voting systems, have forced the site to shut down on alleged intellectual... [Dan Gillmor's eJournal]

Wed, 24 Sep 2003 23:45:44 GMT

Some things never change

The questions being asked by Congress mirror the ones asked here in the Georgia legislature. Interesting reading though...

Congress questions database protection proposal. Act would allow owners of commercial databases to sue anyone who sells portions of their databases, if those databases contain time-sensitive material and the owner incurred a "substantial" cost when generating or maintaining the material. [Computerworld News]

Wed, 24 Sep 2003 20:10:01 GMT

Examples like this

Can make strong arguments against state level policies that support RIAA tactics.

RIAA's case of mistaken identity?. Record labels' attorneys withdraw their first file-swapping suit after an apparent mix-up in Net identification. [CNET News.com - Front Door]

Sat, 20 Sep 2003 10:13:53 GMT

Reinventing the wheel.

Someone needs to tell Gillmor and the EFF folks of the work Georgia Tech has done.

Electronic Voting and the IEEE. The Electronic Frontier Foundation notes serious problems with the IEEE's approach to electronic voting systems, and urges members and security... [Dan Gillmor's eJournal]

Wed, 17 Sep 2003 12:02:39 GMT

RIAA Tactics Under Scrutiny. Is forcing an Internet service provider to turn over the names of suspected music pirates constitutional? An appeals court is challenging the RIAA to demonstrate that it is. [Wired News]

Wed, 17 Sep 2003 12:02:16 GMT

Senator Takes a Swing at RIAA. A new bill in Congress mandates more privacy protections for Internet users in response to the recording industry's avalanche of subpoenas. The Brownback bill also calls on companies to label products like copy-protected CDs. By Katie Dean. [Wired News]

Thu, 21 Aug 2003 10:36:04 GMT

My gut was right

In previous posts I said something was not quite right about the critical study. Seems my hunch was on the money.

New E-Voting Machine Furor. The co-author of a report critical of touch-screen voting software resigns from the board of directors of a competing company, raising cries of conflict of interest. [Wired News]

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 12:31:18 GMT

Latinos get e-vote -- do we?

I still think that the criticism of e-vote technologies is not necessarily on the button, so to speak. The cry for paper audit trails is a false one as some of our analog technologies never had such a trail -- and the criticism ignores the obvious paper failure of all time -- Florida.

Argentines to Get the E-Vote. More than 500,000 citizens in Buenos Aires province will cast their votes for governor using a keyboard and a computer screen in an upcoming election. The system has been successfully tested in Brazil, but will it fly in another embattled Latin American country? By Flavio Bustos. [Wired News]

Fri, 15 Aug 2003 11:12:30 GMT

Calif. Eyes Strong Privacy Policy. Privacy advocates and financial institutions reach a compromise that paves the way for a comprehensive privacy bill that would be the strongest in the United States. By Ryan Singel. [Wired News]

Wed, 13 Aug 2003 10:00:20 GMT

Really, read this.

"full GAO report " [Daypop Top 40]

Tue, 12 Aug 2003 10:56:39 GMT

Electronic Voting (cont)

These issues are nothing compared to what must be done to allow voting over the Internet. At this rate, that will never happen!

E-Vote Machines Face Audit. The state of Maryland adds 11,000 Diebold touch-screen voting terminals to its existing stock just as a university report charges the systems with bad programming and lax security. An independent audit of the software is called for as other states stand poised to purchase the systems. By Kim Zetter. [Wired News]

Sun, 10 Aug 2003 13:44:36 GMT

Not a new twist

Science has been manipulated by politics (or is it the other way around) since the beginning (whenever that was). But, the presentation of data on a website -- neat. Kudos to Waxman.

"Politics & Science" [Daypop Top 40]

Sun, 10 Aug 2003 13:39:50 GMT

Eating our seed corn.

Given all the stories about the outsource of programming and data entry and help desk jobs -- you would think we would choose to invest -- not pull back.

The Perils of Cutbacks in Higher Education. Forced to cut spending to balance state budgets, legislatures are coming down hardest on higher education. By Louis Uchitelle. [New York Times: Education]

Thu, 07 Aug 2003 11:41:39 GMT

More e-vote news

Someone hit it on the head the other day when they said -- the paper system wasn't as secure as the electronic (hence all the cases of vote fraud)... it's all relative. Ever looked inside one of the old switch and lever machines?

New Security Woes for E-Vote Firm. A January source code leak revealed the innards of Diebold Election Systems' proprietary voting software. A new breach threatens to expose the company's business practices -- including its security methods. By Brian McWilliams. [Wired News]

Tue, 05 Aug 2003 14:46:14 GMT

Voting Suit Gains Momentum. A federal appeals court will hear oral arguments in a California woman's lawsuit claiming that touch-screen voting systems, as currently deployed, are unconstitutional. By Joanna Glasner. [Wired News]

Tue, 05 Aug 2003 14:44:29 GMT

The folly of antispam legislation. Extraprise co-founder William Blundon argues that hopes for effective "do not spam" legislation are bound to get dashed, mostly by the economics of e-mail. [CNET News.com]

Mon, 04 Aug 2003 12:28:12 GMT

VM Standards

More Calls to Vet Voting Machines. Some organizations and members of Congress are beginning to push for stricter standards to stop people from tampering with computerized voting machines. The move comes after a report exposed the machines' weaknesses. By Louise Witt. [Wired News]

Sun, 03 Aug 2003 16:09:00 GMT

A Topic whose time has come

If you thought the flight of mfg jobs south was bad ... this could be worse.

TIME.com: Where the Good Jobs Are Going -- Aug. 04, 2003 [Daypop Top 40]

Sat, 02 Aug 2003 13:01:02 GMT

Oracle v. Peoplesoft.

Connecticut says the buyout will cost it "tens of millions". What will it cost Georgia?

States cooperate on Oracle probe. Attorneys general from about 30 U.S. states are cooperating in federal antitrust enforcers' review of Oracle's $7.3 billion hostile bid for PeopleSoft, sources say. [CNET News.com]

Sat, 02 Aug 2003 12:56:47 GMT

More e-voting.

Gillmor is sure fired up -- can't tell if its ignorance or bona fide fear.

A Vote for Safer E-Machine Voting. Slate: Hack the Vote - How to stop someone from stealing the 2004 election. The only sure check against an... [Dan Gillmor's eJournal]

Thu, 31 Jul 2003 11:16:11 GMT

Why Government should avoid SPAM.

Come to think of it, it was the Government in WW II that promoted SPAM (the meat? product) to its glorious heights. Now, Congress (and some state legislatures) think they can regulate SPAM out of existence. Well, as they say, once the SPAM is out of the can...

Anyway, this article is good info for coming legislation.

Antispam Bills: Worse Than Spam?. Many online advocates would love to see spammers burn in hell. But they caution that Congress' zeal to pass antispam legislation is more likely to wreak havoc on the Net than to solve the junk e-mail problem. By Ryan Singel. [Wired News]

Mon, 28 Jul 2003 12:24:11 GMT

Telcos Scowl at 'Bill of Rights'. Tired of waiting for the telecommunications industry to improve its services, California is about to introduce a so-called bill of rights for telephone customers. Among its provisions: Customers would get 45 days to cancel their contracts without penalty. By Elisa Batista. [Wired News]

Tue, 22 Jul 2003 13:16:07 GMT

Meandering

Will trade convenience for privacy

That's the point of the Reason article discussing John Gilmore's lawsuit challenging federal rules to show ID before boarding the plane. Gilmore says we are too complacent about defending our liberities. The author of the story then points out reasons why we cheerfully oblige requests for our "identity" from total strangers.

On Blogs and Campaigns

Lessig is eloquent in his plea for other candidates to blog awhile and flee the choreagraphed appearances that professional handlers prefer...

Open Air Editorials?

Newspapers scream for open government, then shut their doors and windows when it comes to decisions made by their editorial boards. Well, The Dallas Morning News is breaking that tradition with a blog of editorial discussions.

The cycle is getting shorter...

Well, this article says more coding will be done off-shore to lift the bottom-line of software companies. So, where do US coders go? Do they move further up the food chain? Or, is it a ticket to stocking shelves at Walmart. Is policy allowing us to "gut" our economy by refusing to spend dollars on labor here? Stay tuned ...

Coding: Should it stay or should it go?. Software company leaders agree that the use of lower-wage developers is key, but debate how much work to ship abroad. [CNET News.com]

This deserves some reading....

"Bloggers Select The 20 Greatest Figures In American History - Right Wing News (Conservative News and Views)" [Daypop Top 40]