I'm having a REAL problem understanding all the problems with

[napi21]

voting machines! although I've been using computers forfar more than 20 years, I'm sure no geek! But...I'm on my 3rd personal computer, and I have to tell you, I bpight each one, brought them home,unpacked it and plugged it in, and witha few very easy instructions, was up and running with NO problems at all!

What's with all the BS about cards not working, and machines not powering up, or all the other insane problems I keep reading about?

I'm not even talking about vote manipulation here! I'm talking about the bare bones basics of WORKING! These things are made by the same company that makes most of the ATM'S in the US. Can you just see a bank accepting such stupidity?

I want an explaination! How the hell can this happen??????

[don954]

1. Counting votes by computer is easy

In fact, counting is the job that computers do best. I made a voting program in high school, it wasn't complex (yes, it even had a paper backup ot a line printer!). They make the job difficult and unreliable because they want it that way.

[unblock]

2. perhaps you're assuming they WANT it to work properly....

[bananas]

3. The technical term is "crappy software"

but since you're not a geek you probably never heard the term.
Haven't you ever bought something, realized it was a piece of crap, and returned it?
Same thing.

The vote-miscounting software and hardware were done by a completely seperate group from the people who do the ATM machines. ATM machines have provided printed receipts for decades now - but the Diebold vote-miscount programmers say it would be to hard for them to do it, they are just too incompetent to do such a simple thing. Like I said - "piece of crap".

[napi21]

5. Oh, I know the term "Crappy software" for sure!

I guess my problem is, if it's not a problem to write the SW, and the HW should really be just a laptop, then WHY don't the Secretaries of State just DEMAND that they work FROM DAY ONE? hell, that's what I would do! Put the onus on the MFG. You get enough people to make this work without any problems, or YOU take the damn things back! I want my damn $$ back on this crap!

[rock]

4. If a computer prints out a number

it's just a number (ink on paper or dots on the screen). If you're the programmer, it can be any number you want. Can I make this any simpler? (Notice voters have nothing to do with it.)

[napi21]

6. I'm not blaming the voters. Did you hear about all the problems they had

in Md. yesterday? Machines wouldn't boot up, cards got stuck in the machine, apparently there's some Master Card thatinitializes the machine the first time and some of them didn't work. There's no excuse for that kind of stuff!

Yes, some of the problems were the fault of the untrained people working the polls, and the one district that didn't receive the voter cards (in the mailI think) are problems that should never happen, and they can be cured.

Nothing that I mentioned even touches on theproblem of miscounting and the inability to do a hand recount! THAT'S another problem that must be addressed, but we should at LEAST be able to demand a fully functioninggroup of machines OUT OF THE BOX!

[TexasProgresive]

7. Were the problems across the board in Maryland?

or was there a pattern en of malfunction in certain races and areas?

If the latter then it was done on purpose. If the former it's just crappy hard, firm and soft ware. Either is inexcusable but the second is criminal.

[napi21]

8. I don't know for sure. I think I heard the problems were worse

in the heavier populated areas, but I would expect that, simply because of the higher volume of people.

[rock]

9. Nor am I (blaming the voters)

I meant that if you have a computer telling you what the count is, the voters are irrelevant. It can tell you any number the programmer wants.