more on WaPo: Webb's name cut off from voting machines

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Patrick W. Gilmore" <[email protected]>
Date: October 24, 2006 2:31:31 PM EDT
To: Joseph Lorenzo Hall <[email protected]>
Cc: "Patrick W. Gilmore" <[email protected]>, Dave Farber  
<[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on WaPo: Webb's name cut off from voting machines

On Oct 24, 2006, at 2:25 PM, Joseph Lorenzo Hall wrote:

>> Sounds to me like the vetting process failed when they changed the
>> font and didn't notice the Names Of Candidates were not appearing
>> properly.
>
> This is where election systems get fun... you can imagine the names
> they used were short in comparison, not actual candidates names.  Like
> "Abraham Lincoln", etc.
>
>> Exactly what tests did they perform that didn't include reading the
>> screen?
>
> That's part of the problem... the input in to the testing process is
> confidential and proprietary (it's the vendors trade secrets), the
> test plan is proprietary (the testing laboratories claim this as they
> have to compete against each other) and the output test report is
> proprietary (the vendors trade secrets).
>
> A new system is currently being put into place where the input and
> output would be public (and possibly redacted).  We're pushing for the
> publication of test plans as well. -Joe

Sounds pretty friggin' pathetic to me.

This is the "protection" the federal gov't gives to our Most Basic  
and Important right?

Geezuz.  Things are worse than I thought.  (And I thought they were  
pretty bad....)

-- 
TTFN,
patrick