Please! Read these threads on rigged aggregators. This is HUGE!

[Carolab]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x346405

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x339329

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x346553

[uhhuh]

1. I Think I Get It

They were able to compromise the databases and insert and/or delete thousands of names and votes throughout the country.

Is that it? I'll admit I haven't been following this forum lately.

If I'm not understanding this correctly. could you break it down sort of shorthand, please?

[LatePeriduct]

2. Yep.

And then when it goes to the tabulators they pre-aggregate it by using selected biases they claim make voting more fast and clean.

Result is thousands and thousands of undervotes all across the board, mostly effecting 99% of democratic party IDs and "accidently" inflating totals in another column.

Then it was the same way they counted the exit polls. Too many strange questions focused on someone's religion and background made for automatic biases.

Mitofsky should have been up front with the world to begin with. Just who is he really anyway? Why has he denied every time that his exit polls are faulty and now just starts saying they are and have bad workers?

[Wilms]

3. We're on the same wavelength.

I put a thread up on GD:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3305732#

[kk897]

4. in order for anyone other than a few people with lots of patience

and tolerance to "get" this issue, someone is going to have to succinctly summarize it in a way that laymen can understand. I can't do it, but I'm a business writer, not a tech writer. I can't follow TIA's stuff, either.

Can someone who does "get" it "give" it to the rest of us? A "Rigged Aggregators For DUmmies" approach? Some hand-holding? Some weeding out of the more arcane points? I'd love for this to be huge, but unless more people understand it, it won't be.

[LatePeriduct]

33. Hey Yall

Just letting you know that they are gaining attention!

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050328/APN/503281163

It is gaining traction now, administrators in Florida are criticizing everyone's favorite aggregators. If only they could prove the intent was on purpose that would be huge!

Rodney told everyone to let you know that there is more to come, department of agriculture and everyone else were involved in something, and he is making sure to get every piece of evidence and other needed so this story doesn't die.

Me, well I've been harassed by wing-nuts and I'm keeping a low profile because a cult ring linked to the council for ethics and policy is attacking everybody and going after us.

Gotta take it one stroke at a time. Oh and the bozo for bush crap has finally been sorted out.

[LatePeriduct]

5. They do really need an editor badly..

He is trying to work with Clint Curtis on the issue to make it less and less technical using such long words.

The quickest way to learn everything about aggregators is to read the aggregator tutorial that is near the very bottom.

I think there is someone who already grasps it here who can help edit it to a much closer degree.

I only know her address. It is [e-mail], she might have an account here too as far as I know.

[ixion]

6. you shouldn't

post people's email addresses. There are freepers lurking about.

[DemReadingDU]

7. please post link to read about the aggregator tutorial

I don't know what you mean when you say to read the aggregator tutorial that is near the bottom. bottom of what?

And who is working with Clint Curtis on this issue to make it less technical?


This is an interesting topic for me as I am from Ohio.
Thanks!

[LatePeriduct]

8. Since there is alot of paragraphs.

It makes it easier to just post the tutorial area.

"http://www.mnot.net/rss/tutorial/

"To enable this, a Web site will make an RSS feed, or channel,available, just like any other file or resource on the server. Once a feed is available, computers can regularly fetch the file to get the most recent items on the list. Most often, people will do thiswith an aggregator, a program that manages a number of lists and presents them in a single interface.

RSS can also be used for other kinds of list-oriented information,such as syndicating the content itself (often weblogs) along with the links. However, this tutorial focuses on the use of RSS for syndication of links.

What's in a RSS feed? A feed contains a list of items, each of which is identified by alink. Each item can have any amount of metadata associated with it.

The most basic metadata supported by RSS includes a title for the link and a description of it; when syndicating news headlines, these fields might be used for the story title and the first paragraph or a summary, for example. For example, an simple item might look like;(read website)The earth was attacked by an invasion fleet from halfway across the galaxy; luckily, a fatal miscalculation of scale resulted in the entire armada being eaten by a small dog.

Additionally, the feed itself can have metadata associated with it,so that it can be given a title (e.g., "Bob's news headlines"),description, and other fields like publisher and copyright terms.

For an idea of what full feeds look like, see 'RSS Versions andModules'.

How do people use feeds?Aggregators are the most common use of RSS feeds, and there are several types. Web aggregators (sometimes called portals) make this view available in a Web page; my Yahoo is a well-known example of this. Aggregators have also been integrated into e-mail clients,users' desktops, or standalone, dedicated software. See 'Aggregators and other RSS Clients' for more information.

Aggregators can offer a variety of special features, including combining several related feeds into a single view, hiding items that the viewer has already seen, and categorizing feeds and items.

Other uses of RSS feeds include site tracking by search engines andother software; because the feed is machine-readable, the search software doesn't have to figure out which parts of the site areimportant and which parts are just the navigation and presentation.You may also choose to allow people to republish your feeds on theirWeb sites, giving them the ability to represent your content as they require.

Why should I make an RSS feed available?Your viewers will thank you, and there will be more of them, because RSS allows them to see your site without going out of their way to visit it.

For example, imagine that your company announces a new product or feature every month or two. Without a feed, your viewers have to remember to come to your site and see if they find anything new - if they have time. If you provide a feed for them, they can point their aggregator or other software at it, and it will give them a link anda description of developments at your site almost as soon as they happen."

"Normal Aggregators can store lists of anything, not just names, and interface them right directly with websites. It could keep track of ID's for how many trucks you have sold, how many days you have worked, or how many VOTES have been cast as well."

[DemReadingDU]

10. WOW, Thanks

It's finally beginning to sink in about the importance of aggregators.

[eomer]

17. 3 different things: data aggregator, PeopleAggregator & RSS aggregator

There are three different things that have the word aggregator in their names:

1. data aggregator
2. PeopleAggregator
3. RSS aggregator, for which LatePeriduct just provided a tutorial

Here is a short definition of each of these three in turn.

First, a data aggregator is a company that gathers data from various sources and assembles them into a database. For example, Choicepoint is a company that aggregates data on people and then sells that data.

Second, PeopleAggregator is a software product developed by Marc Canter that facilitates building a social network using the FOAF protocol. This tool essentially lets people create a web of information about themselves and people they have some connection to such as familial ties, business relationships, etc. Sort of like the world wide web but where the content is info about people.

Third, an RSS aggregator is a software application that gathers info from websites that provide an RSS feed. It is similar to an email client but geared to reading news instead of emails. I have an RSS aggregator open right now as a toolbar in my browser. It shows me the latest headlines from RawStory, The Nashua Advocate, The BRAD BLOG, The New York Times and the BBC just to name a few. When I click a refresh button the lists of headlines are refreshed. I can click on a headline and the story will load in the content window of my browser.

These three "aggregators" have no direct connection with each other. They are just three new technologies that have some sort of aggregation as their goal. In other words, their only connection is the concept of aggregation.

The rigged-aggregators.blogspot.com website that is the subject of these threads on DU weaves back and forth between these three different things and makes it seem as if they are one and the same. It is not clear from the website which of these three were actually used in committing election fraud. Hopefully some specifics will be provided so we can get a better picture of what this blog is alleging.

[LatePeriduct]

18. Direct your questions to the author.

I am not sure of what your statement is so I suggest sending the comments to the author by clicking "email" on the page.

I think the main discussion point is the straight ticket aggregator which has to be tested in these states, where according to the reporting page straight tickets never counted.

[harmonyguy]

19. HALLELUJAH !!! Well put.!!!

"In other words, their only connection is the concept of aggregation"

This whole rigged-aggregators thing looks like has the same basis as the Cybernet fiasco did back last year. Take one word and twist it and turn it and take it out of context while a lot of folks spin tieir wheels. I'm glad someone else sees the weaving back and forth, too.

While aggregation of some kind MAY have been used in the US elections, I still haven't seen any evidence that Aggregators of the RSS or XML variety have been.
HG

[LatePeriduct]

20. Don't you mean data.

RSS aggregators weren't used and I don't see that on the website. Only testing of RSS feeds which he goes over down the page.

Plus there is also screenshot evidence.

http://tinyurl.com/7y4k7

I'm guessing certain people here don't want to believe XML based aggregators were used? Well they will have to prove it then.

[AntiFascist]

25. Can we keep this constructive?

Harmonyguy, I've put in a lot of work several weeks ago trying to turn the Cybernet and related disputes into a constructive endeavor. Are you really harmonyguy or disharmonyguy? Instead of digging up fable crusades from the past, can you please simply point out the details of the various types of aggregators and what should apply and what shouldn't? People like Clint Curtis are now helping out, and I'm sure there are plenty of intelligent folks interested enough in this to help vet the information that is being put out there.

[LatePeriduct]

26. Excellent articulation AF.

Look, I think anyone connected to the Cybernet fiasco regrets it ever happened. That's the truth.

It was a problem no question, because most people were assuming things based on a tax auditor who found references in a tax audit file.

We later disseminated all of that and found the only thing in common was the bank, which led us to where we needed to be. But at least one important part of it was real and have alot of good documented notes on the bank, Halliburton and the original problem.

Is the Cybernet gobbledeygook always going to be a problem? It could be if it is remembered for all time or something, but it is plain pointless. What the guy should have said was he's a tax auditor and according to the reports it looked one way, not was that way.

There just comes a certain point when we have to move on and forget mistakes and errors of judgment. We're dealing with a sinister force stronger than all of us, and in order to overcome, maybe even in order to survive the longest we are going to have to learn how to work together.

I'm just amazed that so many people mis-interpreted facts everywhere and confused the mess into such a story. Wayne Madsen finally was able to vett this out, but this garbage has affected his credability. And its because of GOP attacks everywhere, not because there was nothing relavant to find.

There was a whole lot that turned out important and got us to where we finally get to be. But with the good comes the bad, and its time to open up dialogue so we can solve this crime affecting all of us.

[harmonyguy]

27. You Bet.!

There ARE lots of intelligent folks here that I'm sure will be able to vet the information - identifying those parts which are supported by fact and those parts which are conjecture.

I get a bit concerned when I see theory being presented, and then repeated by others, as if it were fact. There is a certain 'ring of familiarity' that I see between the 'rigged aggregator' story and the Cybernet story. Perhaps I jumped to a wrongful conclusion, based on my own experience. The expression 'once bitten twice shy' comes to mind.

I see LatePeriduct has indicated that he believes those involved with the Cybernet fiasco regret it. I have no reason to doubt his sincerity, and truly hope that his belief is accurate.

I'll observe with a cautious and curious eye.
HG

[stirringstill]

30. Bread crumbs

I haven't digested his entire blog yet but having just read "No Place To Hide," which details the database technology companies such as DBT and Choicepoint and dozens of others, the rigged-aggregators "concept" resonates. Literally, billions and billions of dollars in government contracts are at stake in a presidential election and the skill set employed by these firms would find a US election childs play to manipulate.

[Bill Bored]

24. At last, the self-correcting nature of the blogosphere

has begun to assert itself. And not a moment too soon I might add!

[Amaryllis]

9. I agree. Please give us a version for tech dummies.

[Carolab]

11. Yes, please...

Can you provide a simplified description of how these rigged aggregators were used to rig the exit polls/vote totals?

[LatePeriduct]

12. I will try.

But I am no expert, I can only cite what the author and others have found.

So the clencher is...

Accenture, Datamaxxx, ChoicePoint, all of them use the same type of people data mining aggregators.

If one falls into the wrong hands, the results on the blog can happen where the voter is nullified.

A quick example is provisional ballot voters using Code 200 or some other error, that none of them will count now.

Another example is when arab names were illegally mined and found in the election database.

It feeds by selecting, transplanting, and scoping out all the documents for information and networking together voters.

It selects the bias that whichever programmers writing the code, decides upon and then those final numbers for counting of anything are calculated.

So programmer code that decides based on a voters affiliation can expel and restrict their ability to count. Blame it on glitches afterward and now all the caged voters are lost.

Now you multiply it by the fact that they are used in all the main states and constantly running so the tabulators do their job.

Also by the fact that it is not well-working code which caused the Welfare reform network in another country to crash. You then have its purpose.

[Carolab]

13. So it gathers demographics selectively on the voters.

Voters who don't meet the desired "qualifications" and cast "the wrong vote" are mined out of the mix; i.e., their votes don't count. They are recorded as having had no registration. Their vote is replaced by a ghost voter who has the desired qualifications and casts "the correct vote". Is this right?

[LatePeriduct]

14. That's the gist of it.

They have to gain the demographical data somehow and decide who has taken the exit polls and is in their BOE results after all.

Rather than risk all the troubles of human error fraud, the aggregator does these things all automatically.

Since its automated the transparency is nearly flawless. They can then make up the smallest exscuse every time for why results might appear to be strange looking.

The code is just taking the selected type of demographic data and putting it into parsing so the tabulator calculates all the numbers.

He said it this way best.

It's like an irrigation system. The whole field of the tabulator is run along one single giant aqueduct that has to feed all the water (or voters) through and all the RSS feed parsers it uses, are the canals for the water.

[harmonyguy]

15. Is there ANY evidence...

... you can point to that these aggregators, as you call them, were actually used at ANY point in ANY of the various election software systems ANYWHERE?

Please post a link to such evidence or, if all this rigged aggregator stuff is just speculation, please identify it as such.

The way folks are talking, you'd think that this was all confirmed fact, when so far, I've only seen an interesting theory, but I haven't seen any evidence.
Someone please point me to what I missed.

HG

[LatePeriduct]

16. There actually is.

You must have missed it or are not hoping to find evidence.

"http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20021213S0006 "Live Information Models pulls structured and unstructured data from databases, ERP apps, legacy systems, and external sources such asnews wires and Web sites.
By Rick Whiting InformationWeek

Accenture is quietly shopping around a new app that lets people pull data, in real time, from a wide range of back-end sources using Microsoft Excel and Word. The technology relies heavily on Webservices and information-integration software from Juice Software Inc.

Packaged business-intelligence tools generally access pre-aggregated data stored in offline data warehouses. Accenture's system, called Live Information Models, pulls structured and unstructured data fromdatabases, ERP apps, legacy systems, and external data sources suchas news wires and Web sites. The data streams into Excel or Word,where users manipulate it for their own needs.

Using Excel to access enterprise system data "gives the end users what they really want," says Philip Russom, a Giga Information Group analyst. Microsoft's Active X Data Objects technology also links Excel to back-end data sources, he says, but it's limited to point-to-point connections.""


"Firm in Florida election fiasco earns millions from files on
foreigners

Oliver Burkeman in Washington and Jo Tuckman in Mexico City
Monday May 5, 2003
The Guardian

A data-gathering company that was embroiled in the Florida 2000
election fiasco is being paid millions of dollars by the Bush
administration to collect detailed personal information on the
populations of foreign countries, enraging several governments who
say the records may have been il﷯legal﷯ly obtained.

US government purchasing documents show that the company,
ChoicePoint, received at least $11m (£6.86m) from the department of
justice last year to supply data - mainly on Latin Americans - that
included names and addresses, occupations, dates of birth, passport
numbers and "physical description". Even tax records and blood groups
are reportedly included.

Nicaraguan police have raided two offices suspected of providing
the information. The revelations threaten to shatter public trust in
electoral institutions, especially in Mexico, where the government
has begun an investigation.

The controversy is not the first to engulf ChoicePoint. The
company's subsidiary, Database Technologies, was responsible for
bungling an overhaul of Florida's voter registration records, with
the result that thousands of people, disproportionately black, were
disenfranchised in the 2000 election. Had they been able to vote,
they might have swung the state, and thus the presidency, for Al
Gore, who lost in Florida by a few hundred votes.

Legal experts in the US and Mexico said ChoicePoint could be liable
for prosecution if those who supplied it with the personal
information could be proven to have broken local laws. That raises
the possibility that any person whose data was accessible to American
officials could take ﷯legal﷯ action against the US government.

"Anybody who felt they were affected by this could take the US
government to court," said Julio Tellez, an expert in Mexican
information legislation at the Tec de Monterrey University. "We could
all do it ... We are not prepared to sell our intimacies for a
fistful of dollars."

How the US is using the information remains mysterious, although
its focus on Latin America suggests obvious applications in targeting
illegal immigrants. Whatever the reasons, its commitment to
ChoicePoint is long-term: last year's $11m payment was part of a
contract worth $67m that runs until 2005.

ChoicePoint denied breaking any laws. "All information collected by
ChoicePoint on foreign citizens is obtained legally from public
agencies or private vendors," it said. It also denied
purchasing "election registry information" from Mexico. "

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,949709,00.html

They did their homework bigtime on this one, with proof.

[Amaryllis]

28. What is data mining?

[LatePeriduct]

29. Don't ask me.

Ask him by going to the website. He has his own public profile you know.

[berniew1]

21. Could you put together a summary of this in one place?

If you don't have access to a web site you can send a file to me and
I'll do it.

[LatePeriduct]

22. I would ask someone from here.

I would have someone from here do it who understands straight-ticket voting and undervotes.

I'm not an expert and I can't claim to be. I do know the author but I don't think I could make a proper summary without alot of time.

I would also suggest asking horse with no name or someone to do it who has been here a long time.

[RubyCat]

23. .

.

[emlev]

31. Would you start a new thread that's more understandable?

Aim it at people who haven't waded through this one and no nothing about what "rigged aggregator" means.

I'm sure I'm not the only DUer who'd appreciate that.

Thanks.

[LatePeriduct]

32. Reading on this

Well if you keep up to date on this you see that they are currently trying to work that out.

My main theory I wonder about is this:

Since there is a straight-ticket bias in most of the swing states, how would it work if you took the number of exit poll answers from one state like Ohio and compare them to the numbers of reported straight-ticket undervotes and weighted no counts?


I mean someone in statistics could do it. It can't be that hard and you would have a trail.