Adam Jacob Muller wrote:
This is very true...At a recent family gathering I spent about an hour trying to explain to various people why "open source" voting machines are more secure.Everyone perceived "open" as being able to go in and change votes...
It comes from the basic misconception almost all people have. Because if something is "closed", "not known", "secret", than how anybody can go into it and break it (or change votes in this case)? We call it "security by obscurity". And we know that system that is based on "security by obscurity" is inherently less secure than an open system with well published security principles. But general public doesn't know that, and general public do not want to find it out. General public likes "black boxes", and it likes to trust someone with a nice big smile telling how the black box is great thing. It also likes when "a man with nice big smile" is proven to be a liar on prime time news. And the circle is complete (and ready for the new round).
-- Aleksandar Milivojevic <amilivojevic@xxxxxx> Pollard Banknote Limited Systems Administrator 1499 Buffalo Place Tel: (204) 474-2323 ext 276 Winnipeg, MB R3T 1L7