Corrupt Elections in the Digital Age

The San Diego County Registrar of Voters continues to amaze me with their spin on electronic voting. I'd love to know who wrote the talking points for how they explain the technology to the public. The main phrase is "touch screen voting" -- with slogans like "It's at your fingertips". Nice, happy phrases about how easy it is to vote using the voting machines.

That's fine. What may also be so easy is perpetrating fraud on these machines, or, more importantly, on the machines that read and process the electronic cards voters hand back to the poll workers after using the "touch screen" machines.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: considering the levels of paranoia, scrutiny, security, testing, evaluation, caution, and care that banks and casinos exhibit when adopting new ATMs and digital slot machines, respectively, it is remarkable and very telling how readily governments embrace electronic voting systems like Diebold's, which is what San Diego County bought and installed to the tune of $35+ million.

The Mission Statement of the San Diego County Registrar of Voters, seen at the bottom of this page, is as follows:

Under the Jurisdiction and Direction of the Board of Supervisors, and with the Assistance of the California Secretary of State, Conduct Voter Registration and Voting Processes with the Highest Level of Professional Election Standards, Accountability, Security and Integrity, Thereby Earning and Maintaining Public Confidence in the Electoral Process.

Well, this is one member of the public, who's worked in the computer industry for 25 years, who no longer has confidence in the electoral process in San Diego because I know from experience how easily vulnerable computer systems are to error and fraudulent use. Sally McPherson, head of SDROV, has not assured me in the least that these machines, or the systems in place to count votes, are free and above any influence from any party or candidate. Go read Robert Caro's books on LBJ. Don't think that kind of electoral fraud doesn't still happen? Please. It's easier now than ever.

Linspire!?

Ladies and gentlemen, Lindows just jumped the shark.

I still think Michaelsoft would have been better.

Let's see. Alternates they could've chosen:

Linept, Linane, Linaccurate, Linvade, Lindulge, Linfo, Linternet, Linterest, Lincest, Linfer, Linflexible, Linfested, Linevitable, Lineffable, Lindustry, Lindicate, Linbred, Lindict, Lintentional, Lindecent, Lindeed, Lincorrigible, and my favorite, Lincognito.

Startup in Acton, That's All They Got

My startup seems to break every rule in the VC handbook:

• it's a boring story, not rocket science

• nothing really new in terms of inventions or technology, in fact it's more a Frankensteinian hodgepodge of existing technologies stiched together

• there's absolutely no barrier to entry, the proverbial two guys in a garage could do it but probably woudln't bother

• it's a pretty totally obvious idea

• stuff like this has been tried before, and it always fails

• there's little in the way of intellectual property protection

• nightmarish multi-billion-dollar competitors

• utter uncertainty the venture will find a receptive market

When the world gives you lemons, give them to someone else.

So I'm basically describing my venture precisely in these terms: total doom. Funny thing is, it seems to be working.

Yesterday I had a great 90-min chat with a VC, who's fascinated with what I'm doing, and he agreed with my assessment of the business from a "no way is this fundable" perspective, by adding:

"You need to add another item to your rule-breaking list: No clear revenue model."

He then added, seriously, that this is the kind of venture where it doesn't matter what the revenue model is. That it's worth spending $25 million on it just to build it and see what happens.

Alas, he didn't write a $25 million check right then and there...