October 31, 2006
Soldiers' Votes: Ripe for Fraud?
The Internet is changing life in the combat zone. In years prior, the US military had limited options in casting their ballot for US elections.
Soldiers would request a ballot via air mail and return it the same way. This year soldiers all over the world are submitting their votes for the midterm election via email.
But is this a good thing? And are their votes safe from tampering?
Security experts from with the Pentagon warn of the potential risks linked with encrypted messages- identity fraud, hacking, and interception.
States have the option on how to exchange ballots with the overseas troops. They can fax, e-mail or mail the ballots, or a combination of the methods. In 1990, the federal government began the use of faxed ballots, when US troops were stationed in the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Shield.
E-mail, however, is only an option in those states that allow it; at the moment eight do. Mississippi was the first, allowing troops overseas to vote by e-mail in a 2003 gubernatorial election.
Soldiers faxing and e-mailing their ballots also must sign waivers saying they understand that somebody might see their ballot, says J. Scott Wiedmann, deputy director of the Federal Voting Assistance Program. "There's no U.S. constitutional guarantee to a secret ballot," he said.
But I must echo the sentiment of David Wagner, a professor of computer science at the University of California at Berkeley, Will soldiers feel free to vote their conscience when they know that the Department of Defense may be able to see how they voted?
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 27, 2006
Bombs Away!
"Google Bombing" has emerged just days before the elections. This campaign tactic has Internet activists taking part in efforts to game the system's search algorithms.
According to 360i's David Berkowitz, during the 2004 election both John Kerry and George Bush were victims of Google bombs, being linked to words and phrases like "waffle" and "miserable failure," respectively.
The idea is to cross-post the links so often that they move up in rank within Google's algorithm. By flooding the Web with real news articles, mostly negative coverage, when users search for a candidate they will be hit with the unsavory.
Chris Bowers, liberal blogger for My Direct Democracy, conceived the plan to bomb 50 Republican candidates and has posted on his blog detailed instructions on how to participate in the bomb, updates on each candidate's ranking in the bomb, and ways to improve for the next time (2008).
Google officials have issued a statement saying that they do not condone the practices and believe that the company’s system is too sophisticated to be gamed as such. However, that hasn’t stopped Republican John Hawkins, of Rightwingnews.com, from posting a counter-attack to “fight fire with fire.” He has posted a list of key races for Republican blogs to bomb.
Search engines are free, universal, and easy to use and with many voters turning to the Internet to get information on candidates this has the potential to make an impact on the 2006 elections and, if Bowers and Hawkins are successful, the 2008 election as well.
Source:
A New Campaign Tactic: Manipulating Google Data
Google Bombing Politicians
Posted by Buzz Webster at 02:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 24, 2006
Google Earth Launches Election Guide
Since its launch Google Earth has been downloaded over 100 million times. The new inclusion of a 2006 Election Guide is a political breakthrough you won't want to miss.
When selected, the new Keyhole Markup Language (KML) layer highlights congressional districts within the US. Midterm races are marked with a star and districts are outlined in red. When users click on the star they are presented with links to voter information, campaign finance links, and a list of House and Senate candidates for that district. Each candidate is linked to live Web feeds from Google Web, Image and News Search.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the guide is its aim to carry real-time results on election night. With the launch just 2 weeks before the upcoming election, this innovation should serve as a feeler for verity and usefulness in future elections.
If you haven't had a chance to try it out yet or haven't updated, do it today! It only takes a few moments and is an easy way to keep informed from a "global" perspective!
Posted by Buzz Webster at 01:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 20, 2006
The Censorship of Cuba
In Cuba, a nation that boasts one of the highest education levels in the world, less than 2% of the country’s population is logging on to the Internet.
In a report by Reporters Without Borders we find out how the authorities have censored the Cuban citizenship and their access to the Web.
The Cuban authorities attribute the lack of IT advancement to limited bandwidth availability and a poor US trade relationship—according to the powers that be, this prevents them from getting development equipment. Additionally, they must link up though expensive satellite networks instead of using underwater fiber optics.
The national connection that most Cuban’s use has government controlled email, but not full access to the Internet. It costs 4 euros ($5.03) an hour, about a third of the average monthly wage.
To ensure that the Internet is not used in a “counter-revolutionary” manner the government has taken several preventative measures. First, there are no private Internet connections. Although a password can be obtained on the blackmarket, if a citizen gets caught on an illegal connection they can face 5 years in prison. Thus, citizens must use public access points where their Web browsing in monitored for subversive keywords.
Journalists can face up to 20 years in prison for posting “counter revolutionary” articles for foreign websites. With such extreme penalties at hand few risk the consequences.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 17, 2006
Sunshine on “GooglePlex”
And Google said “Let there be Light.” Closely following the wake of the GooTube marriage controversy, Google is in the spot(sun)light again.
During a solar energy conference this earlier this week, the Internet search leader unveiled plans to power 30% of its 1 million square foot campus with 9,200 high tech solar panels—roughly enough solar energy to power 1,000 homes.
Spring 2007 is the projected date of completion for “GooglePlex” and it has been estimated to cost over $10 million. Vice President of Real Estate, David Radcliff, anticipates that it will take 5 to 10 years for Google to recoup the project’s costs. Not that Google should have a problem coming up with the cash—according to USA Today they are estimated to have a whopping $10 billion in cash.
The company will still rely heavily on Pacific Electric and Gas says Andrew Beebe, president of El Solutions and project supervisor, but this modernization is still significant. On the forefront of technological innovations, Google will have one of the largest corporate solar installations and hopefully, give other “green” corporations motivation to continue the trend.
Search Power Takes a Stand for Sun Power
Google to Convert HQ to Solar Power
Posted by Buzz Webster at 01:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 13, 2006
Casualties High for Iraqi Media
Iraq is a dangerous place to be a journalist. According to Journalistic Freedoms Observatory more than 130 journalists have been killed since the 2003 invasion.
October has proven to be a tumultuous month so far for the Iraqi Media. On October 1st, a car bomb was detonated near Al Rafidain TV station killing 2 and wounding 5. On October 11, the body of a journalist Azad Mohammad Hussein was found. Hussein worked for Radio Dar al Salaam, which is owned by the Iraqi Islamic Party.
And, on October 12, a slew of gunmen killed 11 employees of Shaabiya, a satellite news station in Bagdad after the station aired several test nationalistic broadcasts. Witnesses say the gunmen arrived in SUV’s with police markings and several were in police uniforms however, Iraqi Security Officers claim these uniforms were stolen. Convenient. What about the vehicle?
In a separate attack on the same day, a bomb exploded in downtown Baghdad killing 5 and wounding 10. When police and rescue crews arrived on the scene a second car bomb was detonated. An official from the Interior Ministry reports that additionally, three more people were killed and 15 wounded when a motorcycle laden with explosives discharged next to a passing police patrol.
Attacks are up 23% since August averaging at 31 per day. Militants are responding strongly to increased security measures.
And, according to Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, a Web site that monitors troop deaths, 44 American troops have been killed this month, which makes October on pace to be the third deadliest month for American forces and the month is not even halfway over.
Britain's new army chief General Richard Dannatt called for a withdrawal of the 7,500 British troops from Iraq, warning that the military's presence there only exacerbates security problems.
How many more will fall victims to the terror in the Middle East before the US withdraws?
Gunmen Kill 11 Employees of a Satellite Television Station in Baghdad
Director of attacked TV station says he wants to move it abroad
11 killed at Iraqi TV station
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 11, 2006
MySpace Rocks, Raises for Darfur
MySpace has taken an active role in promoting awareness for the crisis in Sudan. In an effort to provide humanitarian relief the site launched Rock for Darfur.
The fundraising concert event will take place in 20 cities on October 21st.
On the MySpace page, activists can educate themselves about the crisis, contribute to the relief effort, and start their own “Darfur Dialogue” by downloading a free toolkit. The campaign also includes a clip by George Clooney and a public service announcement by Samuel L. Jackson that will be featured on the site as well as on TV and in movie theatres.
Last week, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan warned that Darfur is creeping closer to catastrophe with rape and violence on the rise and humanitarian access at its lowest level since 2004. After three years of fighting between the Sudanese government and rebel groups in Darfur some 400,000 casualties have occurred and another 2.5 million people have been left homeless.
“The crisis in Darfur is a global concern and as a global community we have a responsibility to take action,” Chris DeWolfe, MySpace’s chief executive said in a statement, “MySpace’s reach gives us as extraordinary opportunity to spread the word and empower individuals to help address the horrors in Darfur.”
The concerts are taking place all over the country, so go out support a cause and rock on to some great music!
Related Links:
Campaign Finds a Powerful Friend in MySpace
Posted by Buzz Webster at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 06, 2006
Foley Online: Email, Blog, Web Explosion
Former Rep. Mark Foley has been all over the news since he was caught sending sexually explicit emails to teenage pages at the House of Representatives.
The whole sorted episode is a great case study of the impact and power of the digital communications and politics.
First, it was Foley's email to the page - once sent emails are 'long gone' and where they end up is anyone's guess. Next came the blog, on September 24th, The Stop Sex Predators Now blog was the first to post the suggestive e-mails sent by Foley to a former house page. The blog's role in exposing the controversy highlights the issues about the differences between the roles and standards of bloggers and traditional journalists. Several news sites followed by providing transcripts of sexually explicit instant messaging conversations that Foley allegedly had with pages.
Then, the whole thing exploded in the blogosphere and the Main Stream Media (MSM) was not far behind.
The press and blogosphere have continued to have a field day attempting to pin the blame everywhere from Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House, to Al Gore for “inventing the Internet.”
Foley has since checked into an alcoholism rehabilitation center and Foley’s lawyer has issued the statement, "Mark Foley has never, ever had inappropriate sexual contact with a minor in his life. He is absolutely, positively not a pedophile." ...Republican speak for 'I did not have sex with that page."
Stay tuned as there are no signs of this slowing down and the big question now is what will this do to the GOP in the November Midterm Elections.
Related Links:
Lawmakers Investigating Foley Scandal
CNN Video: Hastert on Foley
How Blogs Influenced the Foley Story
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 03, 2006
Email Your Congressman?
The Internet and e-mail have made it easier than ever for citizens to communicate with Congress. But how confident should citizens be that the e-mails they send in fact reach Congress?
A study published by Capitol Advantage, under the guidance of Dr. Dennis Johnson, reviewed email deliverability by online advocacy vendors.
The study tested 37 offices that use an auto-responder to confirm a message has been received by the office. The research found that several of the vendors failed miserably in their ability to send e-mails to Congress: 6 of the 10 could not deliver 50 percent of the e-mail through their systems.
And even worse than failing to deliver, it appears that most vendors did not even inform the citizen about the failure. There were no indications by any of the vendors that they informed customers when they were unable to deliver e-mail messages to Congress.
"Citizens would be understandably upset if they knew that letters they sent through the U.S. Post Office were never delivered," writes Dennis W. Johnson, the George Washington University professor who oversaw the study for the e-mail company. "Unfortunately, there is strong evidence that much of the electronic mail that citizens assume is reaching Congress is ending up in an electronic trash can."
Vendors, who promise to deliver online messages to Congress, but fail to do so, are robbing clients and citizens of an essential democratic right.
Communicating With Congress
Study Finds Missed Messages On Capitol Hill
Connecting Citizens and Legislators
Posted by Buzz Webster at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
