[PLUG] What role could or should the Open Source Software community play in the 2016 election?

Lou knight4light at gmail.com
Wed Feb 3 03:10:12 UTC 2016


Well, this has more to do with "Free Software" than "Open Source" that
has different philosophies.

Releasing the source code is not enough as the licence might be still
very restrictive (here is the code, look. You can see it but you can't
touch it.)

http://www.counterpunch.org/2004/08/19/why-we-need-quot-free-software-quot-voting-machines/

https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/gplv3-tc-voting-machines

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2015/04/17/tampering-with-us-voting-machine-as-easy-as-abcde-says-virginia-report/

http://www.networkworld.com/article/2223462/microsoft-subnet/machines-alter-election-votes--hacking-voting-machines-so-easy-that-grandma-can-do-.html




On 02/02/2016 06:33 PM, Vedanta Teacher wrote:
> Blessings,
> 
>   Let me begin by saying that I haven't belonged to a political party
> beginning in 1985-1989 (?)
> and have voted independently from that time so I have no ax to grind.
> 
> There are multiple accusations of vote fixing or manipulation in Iowa by MS
> through a "free"
> app. "Free" as in spy ware. How can closed source, proprietary source code
> be used to
> count something as critical as votes in a free society? I still remember
> the Diebold voting
> machines in the 2000 election if that is the right year.
> 
> I was wondering if there was a role for the open source community (even
> hacktavist)
> in ensuring free and fair elections.
> 
> If this is the wrong group for this posting my apologizes but I already had
> this on my
> mind and this just confirmed my thoughts. If the corruption and cronyism
> goes on long
> enough eventually the Open Source Community will be in their sights- Just a
> thought.
> 
> " I don't care who votes as long as I count the votes." Joseph Stalin.
> 
> Blessings,
> Paul
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