BRAD BLOG: Diebold Capitulates in Alaska...Sorta, as AP Lubes Up America!

[BradBlog]

Diebold Capitulates in Alaska...Sorta
Waives 'Proprietary Rights' to Public Voting Data Files...Though Reserves the Right to 'Manipulate the Data' Before Release!

PLUS: CEO Swidarski Works the AP PR Rope Line and Suggest Diebold's Election Division May Be For Sale, as Both AP and 'USA Today' Get the Story Wrong -- Again -- in Their Continue Efforts on Behalf of America's Electronic Voting Machine Companies...


Good news (perhaps) regarding our previous story on Diebold's refusal to allow the voters of Alaska to look at their own voting data since the Electronic Voting Machine vendor claimed the file format of their GEMS tabulation software was a "company secret" in their contract with the state.

The company has now "agreed to waive its proprietary rights to the GEMS database files," but -- and there's always a big but with Diebold -- they reserve the right to "manipulate the data" before it's released to the public!

Yes, those are the actual words in a letter from Alaska election officials.

In other troubling related news, AP and USA Today go to bat for the Electronic Voting Machine Industry and, as usual, get the story completely wrong...

FULL STORY: http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002385.htm

---
Brad Friedman
THE BRAD BLOG - The uprising continues...
http://www.BradBlog.com
VELVET REVOLUTION - The revolution has begun...
http://www.VelvetRevolution.us

*** The BRAD SHOW On the Air via RAW RADIO!
*** http://www.BradShow.com
*** Broadcast coast-to-coast and around the globe!

[Angry Girl]

1. Diebold reserves right to "manipulate the data" before release to public!

AND charge us for it too???? Oh, I trust Diebold to just that!
Bend over, Americans, and get ready to take it up the....

Diebold has agreed to waive its proprietary rights to the GEMS database files...However, Diebold cautioned that there is sensitive information found in these files, including encrypted passwords, user ID's, as well as the phone number used to modem in results...Therefore, in order to provide you the specific information you are seeking and in the specific form requested, the Division is looking into the feasibility of changing the encrypted information as well as changing the modem number for future elections...To this end, we are consulting with the Enterprise Technology Systems in the Department of Administration as well as Diebold on this issue...please be advised that the Division will charge for its costs incurred in manipulating the data to provide the records you seek."

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002385.htm

[NobleCynic]

2. Manipulation may have been a poor choice of words

I certainly don't think whoever wrote that intended manipulate to be interpreted in such a manner. The intended meaning was that they would take the raw recorded data and put it into readable forms or tables, hence a manipulation of data. But I think they may have come closer to the truth than they had intended with such a poor choice of wording. While other evidence surrounding Diebold indicates with certainty that their machines are easily corruptible, this is nothing more than a typo. It doesn't prove anything other than the Alaskan elections office needs to fire its PR representative for having a miserable grasp of the English language. A poor PR writer doesn't equate to an admittance of guilt.

(Edited for grammar)

[druidity33]

4. maybe...

But if you look at the wording, it does look like the PR person is taking it directly from another source.

"please be advised that the Division will charge for its costs incurred in manipulating the data to provide the records you seek."

it's the please be advised part that sounds off. Like he was copying and pasting from the letter Diebold sent.

But, maybe not. It's hard to say.

[mod mom]

3. Nothing like a good Freudian slip.