Will Diebold ditch voting machines?

As one who believes that (Our cohort's) deliciously savage Die Bold posters ... just may constitute the 'largest Single-Person' effort (certainly, that I'm aware of) in torpedoing this crass Company's rep, herewith a [link|http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2007/03/06/diebold/index.html?source=newsletter| Salon] report on its present odor, out there in biz-land even! where the word shame has no substance -

Will Diebold ditch voting machines?

If you're like us, the name "Diebold" stands for exactly one thing: electronic [link|http://dir.salon.com/topics/voting_machines/index.html| voting machines]. And if you're the management at Diebold, that's apparently a problem. As the [link|http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/industry/2007-03-05-diebold-voting-machines_N.htm| Associated Press] reports, Diebold is apparently thinking about getting out of the voting machine business because it's hurting the company's image.

It turns out that Diebold also makes safes and automated teller machines, and that the division of the company that makes voting machines is its smallest. "This is a company that has built relationships with banks every day of every year," investment analyst Gill Luria tells the AP. "It pains them greatly to see their brand tarnished by a marginal operating unit."

Tarnished? Like by a [link|http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2006/09/13/diebold/index.html| study] showing that it would be easy enough to alter Diebold's machines to flip votes from one candidate to another? Like by a [link|http://www.wired.com/news/evote/0,2645,65674,00.html| lawsuit] in which Diebold ultimately paid California $2.6 million to settle claims that it had sold the state faulty voting equipment? Like by its former chairman's [link|http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0828-08.htm| commitment], as a Bush-Cheney fundraiser, to "helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to" Bush in 2004?

According to the AP, Diebold's current CEO told analysts in November that the company would be announcing a long-term strategy for its election unit early this year. Those comments -- plus some in an SEC filing -- have fueled speculation that Diebold will announce soon that it's selling off its voting machine unit.

The problem? Given Diebold's track record and the possibility that future legislation will require changes in voting machines, it may be tough to find a buyer. David Allen at the not-exactly-impartial [link|http://blackboxvoting.com/s9/index.php?/archives/186-Diebold-looks-to-bail-on-BBV-business.html| BlackBoxVoting.com] says: "It would be easier to sell Titanic brand cruise ships or Hindenburg brand zeppelins than a Diebold voting machine company."

-- Tim Grieve

work like shit. It's that they were *designed* to work like shit. C'mon, it's Diebold. They make ATMs. They know how to make a secure, accurate machine. I don't doubt that some few of these machines could have been compromised. I'm not really convinced that any were but I don't rule it out. The problem I see is that since they have such a terrible rep, and if they continue being used, then temptation will strike. It is already known that the recorded vote tallys can be changed on many of these machines without trace. Someone in a tight race will try to pay/pressure someone with access to do this.

How about we remove the temptation? Paper ballots, fill in the circle.

Scantron works.

And gosh, you can actually perform a recount. You can even remove the scantron scoring machine and have actual individuals examine each ballot to insure it isn't being read in error.

this shit pisses me off.

Post #277,660 by Ashton 3/7/07 8:05:01 PM Reply	Will Diebold ditch voting machines? As one who believes that (Our cohort's) deliciously savage Die Bold posters ... just may constitute the 'largest Single-Person' effort (certainly, that I'm aware of) in torpedoing this crass Company's rep, herewith a [link\|http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2007/03/06/diebold/index.html?source=newsletter\| Salon] report on its present odor, out there in biz-land even! where the word shame has no substance - Will Diebold ditch voting machines? If you're like us, the name "Diebold" stands for exactly one thing: electronic [link\|http://dir.salon.com/topics/voting_machines/index.html\| voting machines]. And if you're the management at Diebold, that's apparently a problem. As the [link\|http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/industry/2007-03-05-diebold-voting-machines_N.htm\| Associated Press] reports, Diebold is apparently thinking about getting out of the voting machine business because it's hurting the company's image. It turns out that Diebold also makes safes and automated teller machines, and that the division of the company that makes voting machines is its smallest. "This is a company that has built relationships with banks every day of every year," investment analyst Gill Luria tells the AP. "It pains them greatly to see their brand tarnished by a marginal operating unit." Tarnished? Like by a [link\|http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2006/09/13/diebold/index.html\| study] showing that it would be easy enough to alter Diebold's machines to flip votes from one candidate to another? Like by a [link\|http://www.wired.com/news/evote/0,2645,65674,00.html\| lawsuit] in which Diebold ultimately paid California $2.6 million to settle claims that it had sold the state faulty voting equipment? Like by its former chairman's [link\|http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0828-08.htm\| commitment], as a Bush-Cheney fundraiser, to "helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to" Bush in 2004? According to the AP, Diebold's current CEO told analysts in November that the company would be announcing a long-term strategy for its election unit early this year. Those comments -- plus some in an SEC filing -- have fueled speculation that Diebold will announce soon that it's selling off its voting machine unit. The problem? Given Diebold's track record and the possibility that future legislation will require changes in voting machines, it may be tough to find a buyer. David Allen at the not-exactly-impartial [link\|http://blackboxvoting.com/s9/index.php?/archives/186-Diebold-looks-to-bail-on-BBV-business.html\| BlackBoxVoting.com] says: "It would be easier to sell Titanic brand cruise ships or Hindenburg brand zeppelins than a Diebold voting machine company." -- Tim Grieve May they join the crowd at FuckedCompany.com real soon now.. It would be the decent, the honorable, the Murican thing to do.
Post #277,663 by drewk 3/7/07 8:32:57 PM Reply	Translation Well sure, they don't work worth shit, and that wasn't really a problem. But people are starting to notice they don't work worth shit, and all the stories have our name attached. We need to dump that noise before bank shareholders start asking their boards if they should really be using our ATMs, if we're so lax on security. === Kip Hawley is still an idiot. === Purveyor of Doc Hope's [link\|http://DocHope.com\|fresh-baked dog biscuits and pet treats]. [link\|http://DocHope.com\|http://DocHope.com]
Post #277,666 by Silverlock 3/7/07 8:54:38 PM Reply	The problem, I think, isn't that they . . . work like shit. It's that they were designed to work like shit. C'mon, it's Diebold. They make ATMs. They know how to make a secure, accurate machine. I don't doubt that some few of these machines could have been compromised. I'm not really convinced that any were but I don't rule it out. The problem I see is that since they have such a terrible rep, and if they continue being used, then temptation will strike. It is already known that the recorded vote tallys can be changed on many of these machines without trace. Someone in a tight race will try to pay/pressure someone with access to do this. How about we remove the temptation? Paper ballots, fill in the circle. Scantron works. And gosh, you can actually perform a recount. You can even remove the scantron scoring machine and have actual individuals examine each ballot to insure it isn't being read in error. this shit pisses me off. ----------------------------------------- Draft Clark [link\|http://draftwesleyclark.com/\|now].

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