tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74853562913595721642024-03-12T18:04:20.167-07:00DeliberationsMarilyn Davis, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09678039492229490762noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485356291359572164.post-61310711030021256382017-11-28T19:01:00.005-08:002017-11-28T19:01:59.302-08:00Decision-making in MeWe Groups<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNkdaPcY8FM8BtdcyRcjnbv_aXg0Pnc03si2hgpxAj6elD6iRnrS0QEcXYZXfaCvL7GPeqrlgt37LOoQyeJkyBASnNW2fzKkxOQFLmPCDZp9Wf0NyrVeZoaFpCh1P2KY93E4J0_TS3JE/s1600/good_banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="752" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNkdaPcY8FM8BtdcyRcjnbv_aXg0Pnc03si2hgpxAj6elD6iRnrS0QEcXYZXfaCvL7GPeqrlgt37LOoQyeJkyBASnNW2fzKkxOQFLmPCDZp9Wf0NyrVeZoaFpCh1P2KY93E4J0_TS3JE/s320/good_banner.png" width="320" /></a></div>
The only weapon against the 1% is democracy. To save our planet, we must develop a form of democracy that is much more democratic than any democracy we have seen.<br />
<br />
Current affairs have taught us that the rich, and the politicians, are often corrupt by their power, and obscenely selfish. We have learned that representative democracy is corruptible, and therefore will be corrupted. <br />
<br />
To survive, we must build a new democracy that is a "flat democracy". It must be so democratic that no one person will have more power than any other person. We can no longer afford to have our important decisions serve corruption.<br />
<br />
I offer this specification as an example of such a flat democratic system. I suggest it be built on MeWe.com because this platform already provides discussion facilities. Discussion is the most important element of democracy; it is what discovers ideas, changes minds, and unites groups. Voting, on the other hand, divides groups. Even so, voting is necessary, along with some algorithms specified here, to develop definite group decisions from the group discussion: without a leader and without anyone in the group having more power than anyone else. <br />
<br />
<b>The Rules of Order for a MeWe Group</b><br />
<br />
Each member of the MeWe decision-enabled group will be in one of these four catagories:<br />
<br />
1. <b>Observers. </b> Observers, the least powerful of the community, cannot participate in the group beyond observing. They can see the members and the members' participation. They cannot post, comment, reply, react, or vote. This is explained below in Dissonant Participants.<br />
<br />
2. <b>Participants. </b> This the initial state of all new group members. Participants may post, comment, reply, and react in the group.<br />
<br />
3. <b>Voters. </b> Any Participant is a Voter if the Participant has posted, commented, replied, and/or reacted in the group at least once a week for the last 4 weeks; and has registered by paying $.01 via a verified Paypal account. The Paypal account information is collected so that we can be sure that each Voter has only one identity and one vote. Leaders are also Voters, as described next.<br />
<br />
4. <b>Leaders.</b> Any Voter who has posted or commented at least twice a week for the last 8 weeks.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Polls</b><br />
<br />
Only Leaders can initiate polls.<br />
<br />
Only Voters can vote.<br />
<br />
All Participants can comment, reply, and react to a poll question.<br />
<br />
Voters can change their votes as discussion and vote statistics develop. The ability to change one's votes is crucial to enabling the coalescence of group opinion.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Voter Participation Quota</b><br />
<br />
These rules depend on the Voter's Participation Quota or VPQ.<br />
<br />
Voter participation is defined as commenting, replying, reacting, voting and/or re-voting on the poll question in the poll question's post. The VPQ is defined as the number of Voters participating, (not the number of participating actions), divided by the total number of Voters at the time of the calculation. Comments, replies, and reactions from Participants who are not Voters, although welcome, do not count toward the VPQ.<br />
<br />
In the rules below, we use two types of VPQ:<br />
<br />
* Accumulated VPQ, which is the number of Voters who have participated since the poll's inception, divided by the total number of Voters at the time when the VPQ is calculated.<br />
<br />
* Restricted VPQ, which is restricted to a certain time period. If the VPQ must be 20% over the past week, the VPQ is calculated by the number of Voters who have participated in the last week divided by the number of Voters at the time of the calculation.<br />
<br />
Voters who have lost their Voter status at the time of the VPQ calculation, for any reason, will not be counted in the VPQ. If they have voted in the poll, their vote will disappear from the system. Their comments, replies, and reactions will remain.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Public/Private Polls</b><br />
<br />
Only polls designed for choosing a person or persons can be Private, but may not be, depending on the author's choice. In Private polls, the votes themselves are not visible to anyone, except each Voter can see and change their own vote. Visible, however, is whether or not each Voter has voted. The poll statistics for a Private poll become public once 10% of the current Voters have voted; the votes themselves are never Public.<br />
<br />
All polls designed for anything other than chosing a person or persons are Public, i.e. Voters, votes, and statistics are visible to everyone.<br />
<br />
<b>Pinned Polls</b><br />
<br />
Pinning posts is a social network's process of forcing a particular post to remain at the top of the feed for the group. Many posts can be pinned at the same time.<br />
<br />
Polls that have a accumulated a VPQ of 10% become "pinned" for the first time. <br />
<br />
The unpinning and repinning rules are different for each poll type and is explained below.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Standing Out Of The Poll</b><br />
<br />
All polls will have a stand-out-of-the-poll (SOOP) option. Voters who vote SOOP are agreeing to agree with whatever decision is decided by the other Voters. Until the voting is closed, explained below, the SOOP Voters, as well as all Voters, can change their vote. The Voters who contribute SOOP votes count toward the Voters' participation quota, as do regular Voters who vote their opinion.<br />
<br />
A poll can be taken for curiosity, just to know ourselves better; and polls can be created to make a decision.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Decision-Making</b><br />
<br />
To make a decision for the group:<br />
<br />
1. The poll, at its inception, must announce itself as a decision-making poll.<br />
<br />
2. The poll must be reach the required accumulated 10% VPQ and therefore be pinned.<br />
<br />
* Yes/No/SOOP polls:<br />
<br />
- Agreement and decision made:<br />
<br />
If, after being pinned for 2 or more weeks, and 30% of the current Voters have voted, agreement is reached if 2/3 of the votes, not including the SOOP votes, are Yes votes or 2/3 of the votes, not including the SOOP votes, are No votes. The decision is announced, and the Yes/No/SOOP poll is unpinned.<br />
<br />
- No agreement and no decision made:<br />
<br />
If, after being pinned for 2 weeks, neither Yes nor No votes reach 2/3 of the votes, not including the SOOP votes, and the VPQ during the last week is less than 10%, the poll is unpinned. No decision is taken. The poll statistics and lack of decision is announced.<br />
<br />
* Multiple Choice Polls:<br />
<br />
Multiple choice polls must:<br />
<br />
1. include a none-of-the-above (NOTA) option as well as a SOOP option.<br />
<br />
2. allow a Voter to add new options to the poll. All previous Voters will be notified of new options as they are added.<br />
<br />
3. Voters will rank the choices, using 1 for the first choice, 2 for the second choice, etc.<br />
<br />
4. after 2 weeks of being pinned, the poll question is "set", meaning that adding new options is not allowed.<br />
<br />
<br />
- Agreement and Decision Made<br />
<br />
If, after at least 2 weeks of being set, and at least 30% of the current Voters voted in the poll, a decision is made according to "Ranked Choice Voting", http://www.fairvote.org/how_rcv_works . The vote statistics and decision are announced and the multiple choice poll is unpinned.<br />
<br />
<br />
- No Agreement and No Decision Made<br />
<br />
If, after at least 2 weeks of being set, if fewer than 30% of the Voters have voted, and the VPQ during the last week is less than 10%, the poll is unpinned. The lack of decision and the vote statistics are announced. No decision is taken.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Curiosity Polls</b><br />
<br />
After being pinned for 2 weeks, a curiosity poll, i.e. a poll that was not initially announced as a decision-making poll, becomes unpinned if the VPQ during the last week is less than 10%. The results of the poll are announced.<br />
<br />
<b>Re-Pinning</b><br />
<br />
A poll will be re-pinned if the VPQ reaches 10% in the last week.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Dissonant Participants</b><br />
<br />
A Participant will be placed in Observer status, thereby causing that Participant to lose the right to participate by:<br />
<br />
1. A Yes/No/SOOP poll is created by any Leader to move a Participant into Observation status.<br />
<br />
2. Polls for placing a Participant into Observation status follow the same rules as any decision-making Yes/No/SOOP poll, except that there must be 75% agreement for the decision.<br />
<br />
The first time a Participant is moved to Observation status, the Observation status lasts for one month.<br />
<br />
The second time a Participant is moved to Observation status, the Observation status lasts forever.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Enforcing These Rules</b><br />
<br />
These Rules are to be implemented and enforced by open-source software. The software itself is to be presented as source files in the Files section of the groups, or a link to the source code is to be provided.<br />
<br />
<b>Changing These Rules of Orde</b>r<br />
<br />
Proposed changes to the Rules of Order must follow the same rules as any decision-making Yes/No/SOOP poll, except that there must be 51% agreement for the decision to change a point in these rules.<br />
<br />
It is the responsibility of the group's administrator(s) to make the required changes to the Rules, and to cause corresponding changes to be made to the underlying software.<br />
<br />
These rules of order will be ratified using these Rules of Order.<br />
<br />
Respectfully submitted,<br />
<br />
Marilyn Davis, Ph.D.<br />
<br />
<br />
(Image copyright: Getty Images. All rights reserved)<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Marilyn Davis, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09678039492229490762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485356291359572164.post-63923044917946215012016-12-28T10:16:00.000-08:002017-11-28T18:32:29.438-08:00Decision-Making in Facebook Groups<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yd-BrSPBxVRxS8Lv_-n84CnnYxZhZ60Autap5b7UwxyPXZojJX130eAyeJL-qBsut8vA9-k1QJT-zxUc4u0eVLI0M-_uiPFu5ECA7a2IkqJmUGqMVKfSAEes_sjZu305olFuD4pX8JU/s1600/saved_for_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yd-BrSPBxVRxS8Lv_-n84CnnYxZhZ60Autap5b7UwxyPXZojJX130eAyeJL-qBsut8vA9-k1QJT-zxUc4u0eVLI0M-_uiPFu5ECA7a2IkqJmUGqMVKfSAEes_sjZu305olFuD4pX8JU/s640/saved_for_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The only weapon against the 1% is democracy. To save our planet, we must develop a form of democracy that is much more democratic than the democracy we have. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Current affairs have taught us that the rich, and the politicians, are often corrupted by their power, and obscenely selfish. We have learned that representative democracy is corruptible, and therefore will be corrupted. We now know that</span><span style="font-size: large;"> our important decisions are being made to serve these powerful people, instead of serving us and our planet.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">To survive, we must build a new democracy that is a <i>flat democracy</i>. It must be so democratic that no one person will have more power than any other person. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I offer these Rules of Order as an example of such a flat democratic system.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">Proposal for Rules of Order for Facebook Groups</span></h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">For democratic Public Facebook groups that follow these Rules, there will be four levels of participation:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. <i>Observers.</i></b> Observers</span><span style="font-size: large;"> cannot participate in the group beyond observing. They can see the members and the members' participation. They cannot post, comment, reply, react, or vote. This is explained below in Dissonant Participants.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. <i>Participants</i></b>. This the initial state of all new group members. Participants may post, comment, reply, and react in the group.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3.</b> <b><i>Voters</i></b>. Any Participant is a Voter if the Participant has posted, commented, replied, and/or reacted in the group at least once a week for the last 4 weeks; and has registered by paying $.01 via a verified Paypal account. The Paypal account information is so that we can be sure that each Voter has only one identity and one vote. <i>Leaders </i></span><span style="font-size: large;">are also Voters, as described next.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. <i>Leaders</i>.</b> Any Voter who has posted or commented at least twice a week for the last 8 weeks.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Polls</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Only Leaders can initiate polls.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Only Voters can vote.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">All Participants can comment, reply, and react to a poll question.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Voters can change their votes as discussion and vote statistics develop. The ability to change one's votes is crucial to enabling the coalescence of group opinion.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Voter Participation Quota</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">These rules depend on the <i><b>Voters Participation Quota</b></i> or VPQ.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Voter participation</i> is defined as commenting, replying, reacting, voting and/or re-voting on the poll question in the poll question's post. The VPQ is defined as the number of Voters participating, (not the number of participating actions), divided by the total number of Voters at the time of the calculation. Comments, replies, and reactions from Participants who are not Voters, although welcome, do not count toward the VPQ.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the rules below, we use two types of VPQ:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Accumulated VPQ</b></i>, which is the number of Voters who have participated since the poll's inception, divided by the total number of Voters at the time when the VPQ is calculated. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Restricted VPQ</i></b>, which is restricted to a certain time period. If the VPQ must be 20% over the past week, the VPQ is calculated by the number of Voters who have participated in the last week divided by the number of Voters at the time of the calculation.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Voters who have lost their Voter status at the time of the VPQ calculation, for any reason, will not be counted in the VPQ. If they have voted in the poll, their vote will disappear from the system. Their comments, replies, and reactions will remain. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Public/Private Polls</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Only polls designed for choosing a person or persons can be Private, but may not be, depending on the author's choice. In Private polls, the votes themselves are not visible to anyone, except each Voter can see and change their own vote. Visible, however, is whether or not each Voter has voted. The poll statistics for a Private poll become public once 10% of the current Voters have voted; the votes themselves are never Public.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">All polls designed for anything other than chosing a person or persons are Public, i.e. Votes, votes, and statistics are visible to everyone.</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pinned Polls</b></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Pinning posts is a social network process of forcing a particular post to remain at the top of the feed for the group. Many posts can be pinned at the same time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Polls that have a accumulated a VPQ of 10% become "pinned" for the first time. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The unpinning and repinning rules are different for each poll type and is explained below.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Standing Out Of The Poll</b></span></h3>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">All polls will have a <b><i>stand-out-of-the-poll</i></b> (SOOP) option. Voters who vote SOOP are agreeing to agree with whatever decision is decided by the other Voters. Until the voting is closed, explained below, the SOOP Voters, as well as all Voters, can change their vote. The Voters who contribute SOOP votes count toward the Voters' participation quota, as do regular Voters who vote their opinion.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A poll can be taken for curiosity, just to know ourselves better; and polls can be created to make a decision.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Decision-Making</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">To make a decision for the group:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">1. The poll, at its inception, must announce itself as a decision-making poll.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">2. The poll must be reach the required accumulated 10% VPQ and therefore be pinned.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">* <b>Yes/No/SOOP polls:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> <b> - Agreement and decision made:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> If, after being pinned for 2 or more weeks, and 30% of the current Voters have voted, agreement is reached if 2/3 of the votes, not including the SOOP votes, are Yes votes or 2/3 of the votes, not including the SOOP votes, are No votes. The decision is announced, and the Yes/No/SOOP poll is unpinned.</span><br />
<br />
<h3>
- <b style="font-size: x-large;">No agreement and no decision made:</b></h3>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> If, after being pinned for 2 weeks, neither Yes nor No votes reach 2/3 of the votes, not including the SOOP votes, and the VPQ during the last week is less than 10%, the poll is unpinned. No decision is taken. The poll statistics and lack of decision is announced.</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">* Multiple Choice Polls:</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Multiple choice polls must:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> 1. include a none-of-the-above (NOTA) option as well as a SOOP option.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> 2. allow a Voter to add new options to the poll. All previous Voters will be notified of new options as they are added.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> 3. Voters will rank the choices, using 1 for the first choice, 2 for the second choice, etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> 4. after 2 weeks of being pinned, the poll question is "set", meaning that adding new options is not allowed.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"> - <b>Agreement and Decision Made</b></span></h3>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> If, after at least 2 weeks of being set, and at least 30% of the current Voters voted in the poll, a decision is made according to "Ranked Choice Voting", http://www.fairvote.org/how_rcv_works . The vote statistics and decision is announced and the multiple choice poll is unpinned.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"> - <b>No Agreement and No Decision Made</b></span></h3>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> If, after at least 2 weeks of being set, if fewer than 30% of the Voters have voted, and the VPQ during the last week is less than 10%, the poll is unpinned. The lack of decision and the vote statistics are announced. No decision is taken.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Curiosity Polls</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">After being pinned for 2 weeks, a curiosity poll, i.e. a poll that was not initially announced as a decision-making poll, becomes unpinned if the VPQ during the last week is less than 10%. The results of the poll are announced.</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Re-Pinning</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">A poll will be re-pinned if the VPQ reaches 10% in the last week.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Dissonant Participants</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">A Participant will be placed in Observer status, thereby causing that Participant to lose the right to participate by:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">1. A Yes/No/SOOP poll is created by any Leader to move a Participant into Observation status. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Polls for placing a Participant into Observation status follow the same rules as any decision-making Yes/No/SOOP poll, except that there must be 75% agreement for the decision.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The first time a Participant is moved to Observation status, the Observation status lasts for one month.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The second time a Participant is moved to Observation status, the Observation status lasts forever.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Enforcing These Rules</b></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">These Rules are to be implemented and enforced by open-source software. The software itself is to be presented in a text file in the Files section of the Facebook group.</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Changing These Rules of Order</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Proposed changes to the Rules of Order must follow the same rules as any decision-making Yes/No/SOOP poll, except that there must be 51% agreement for the decision to change a point in these rules.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It is the responsibility of the group's administrator(s) to make the required changes to the Rules, and to cause corresponding changes to be made to the underlying software.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">These rules of order will be ratified using these Rules of Order.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Respectfully submitted,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Marilyn Davis, Ph.D.</span><br />
<div>
<br />
<br />
(Image copyright: Getty Images. All rights reserved)</div>
Marilyn Davis, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09678039492229490762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485356291359572164.post-32488605217902268962016-08-02T13:58:00.000-07:002016-08-02T14:23:36.139-07:00Irrefutable Logic Showing That If You Fear Global Warming, You Must Not Support Clinton<h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihNrmSAyQiEl6a2cDh3JFnGPnOqId3nUZOAl4EddPmooqrTNBVwB26FuxG1fFcb0o1Xd2I4jggyH9yKTJDZqg7vitluTQJ1cBMjizhhz-PP1tcKY5IHmz3acv-ROVdTI-R9TPTuvS9HI/s1600/earth_fire_hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihNrmSAyQiEl6a2cDh3JFnGPnOqId3nUZOAl4EddPmooqrTNBVwB26FuxG1fFcb0o1Xd2I4jggyH9yKTJDZqg7vitluTQJ1cBMjizhhz-PP1tcKY5IHmz3acv-ROVdTI-R9TPTuvS9HI/s320/earth_fire_hands.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yes, Trump doesn't believe in global warming, but that will change. And not believing in global warming at this time is not nearly as destructive to our future as a President who answers to the fossil fuel business.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If we end up with the Donald, he <i><b>will</b></i> feel the real burn of global warming soon, and hopefully not too late to try to fix it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In contrast, <i><b>all</b></i> of Clinton's power is bought by corporations, her hands are tied, and she is powerless to fix global warming. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Global warming frightens almost everyone, other than Trump. But, has this widely-held fear pushed corporations to take stock of what they are doing? Of course not. They are corporations, not able and, by <i>law</i>, not allowed to consider the planet and life. They are not human, not animal, just paper-and-ink constructs that have taken control of our governments. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As the world gets hotter and hotter, if corporations are still at the helm, our planet is cooked. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If a voter feels the threat of global warming is real, that person must not support Clinton. Clinton, because she is corporate-controlled, is a death sentence for the planet. She is the greater evil.</span><br />
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Marilyn Davis, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09678039492229490762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485356291359572164.post-35353036694596442492016-05-21T08:26:00.001-07:002016-05-21T08:26:12.160-07:00Your Vote Is Sacred<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Democracy lives in our hearts, similar to love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Democracy holds a sense of rightness. It is the way to be happiest as a community.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBREOR_iSJY3hA_vKTcOVEw8bcxjgE4f80t0PC60zZ9jYOj1iTiaqekgqXYMQgB646ejkwM3CGX0mLrqYNn6yX2tMkA-oeSk_3pl3470S_zR1Y8g5pegZq_W4kF8oKc5uV7ihWyPLDsh8/s1600/final_graphic.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBREOR_iSJY3hA_vKTcOVEw8bcxjgE4f80t0PC60zZ9jYOj1iTiaqekgqXYMQgB646ejkwM3CGX0mLrqYNn6yX2tMkA-oeSk_3pl3470S_zR1Y8g5pegZq_W4kF8oKc5uV7ihWyPLDsh8/s320/final_graphic.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The power in democracy can best be understood with the well-studied conclusion: the more democratic the society, the less violent, and the more cooperative. Less violence shows up in aversion to war, in fewer violent crimes, and in reduced domestic violence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Quality of life is so much better without violence. This is what healthy people want. By healthy, I mean, most particularly, those who long for security and beauty for our planet, forever. Who could want otherwise?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These innate human understandings, love and democracy, are within us because they come from God, or from our DNA-given survival instinct, if those words work better for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Love has a sacred and evolutionarily important reason to be within us. Love is God's communication with each of us to show us what we want as individuals. Our evolution is dictated by love to whatever degree our unprotected sexual activity is dictated by love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Like love, democracy has a sacred and evolutionarily important reason to be within us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Democracy is a contract with God and with your community so that you can act together to find the way to a lovely future. The process itself brings ideas and right decisions, when the participants are truthful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The most important result of democracy, of a vote, is *not* whom should be president. The more sacred purpose of a vote is to express your true self and to discover the common identity that we are together -- so we can know and understand and love our community, and grow together. For this reason alone, it is critical that we each vote the truth of our conscience. Realize that our conscience comes from God, and that the conscience is God's way to show us how to behave, and in particular, how to vote.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There is another reason, more immediate, why it is critically important to vote according to your conscience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Election cycle after election cycle we have been pressed to vote the lesser of two evils. As we continually do the repugnant duty of voting for an evil, we reward the political parties for giving us evil choices, and, encouraged by the reward, the parties give us choices that are more and more evil.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please help to end this downward spiral.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Vote according to your conscience. Keep your covenant with God. Whatever else happens, this evil or that evil, do not help it. Keep your conscience clean. Vote your truth.</span></div>
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Marilyn Davis, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09678039492229490762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485356291359572164.post-59952443650118584272009-01-20T22:31:00.000-08:002009-01-21T11:46:43.122-08:00The AnswerTwo young adults knocked on my door. Their church's youth group had sent them, door to door, to take a survey with three questions.<br /><br />The first was: what "one thing" is responsible for the wars, corruption, pollution, domestic violence, etc.? They had a very long list of human tragedies, so I had time to be ready with my answer: <span style="font-style:italic;">Overpopulation</span> is responsible.<br /><br />They were astonished. They had never heard it before. That astonished me.<br /><br />Next question: is lack-of-spirituality at the root of the problem?<br /><br />In the light of the previous answer, this question confused me and I declined to respond. We went on to the last question:<br /><br />Does the bible lead a person to spirituality?<br /><br />No, bibles and religion are more likely to lead a person away from spirituality. I define "spirituality" as being conscious of one's personal relationship with God. Religious rhetoric, and all language, can help a little sometimes. But words also distract a person from their direct connection to God. Spirituality is sweeter, simpler, more personal than religion.<br /><br />Predictably, I thought of my answer to question #2 a few minutes after they left. I chased them down.<br /><br />Lack-of-spirituality is just another tragedy to put on the list of human tragedies in the world. Maybe this loss of connection to God is the worst tragedy of all. But, it is not the cause of the tragedies. The cause is overpopulation, and that is all. <br /><br />We can make many individual, difficult, efforts to lessen our impact on the environment, to "reduce our carbon footprint". All these efforts: driving hybrids, saving water, vegetarianism, recycling, etc, sum to a molehill compared with the looming mountain of increasing population.<br /><br />In addition to the obvious environmental impossibilities of increasing overpopulation, there are subtle biological forces at work when the population intensifies and when females are forced to bear young under stress. Discovering these forces, because they are part of us, is as difficult as seeing our own eyes. However, here are a few links that point toward this type of phenomenon in nature:<br /><br />- <a href="http:////wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_would_a_mother_rabbit_kill_her_newborn_babies">Mother rabbits may kill newborns</a> <br /><br />- <a href="http:////www.newscientist.com/article/mg19826581.800-locust-swarms-are-driven-by-salt-and-cannibalism.html?page=1 "> Locusts and cannibalism</a><br /><br />- <a href="http:////en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legalized_abortion_and_crime_effect"> Legalized abortion and crime effect</a> <br /><br />Our population is uncontrolled, or rather, controlled by societal bans and stigmas on abortions and contraceptives. This societal "control" is steering us toward ever-increasing disaster.<br /><br />The natural and effective way to control population is for society to release control to the individual woman; to support the woman, in any way she wants to be supported.Marilyn Davis, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09678039492229490762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485356291359572164.post-46167893005410364802008-10-04T23:50:00.000-07:002008-10-21T12:46:43.510-07:00Men<span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />You don't get it, you think it's fun.<br />Any excuse takes you to battle with a gun.<br /><br />You don't know a thing about the words you say:<br />"Freedom" and "Democracy", the "American Way".<br /><br />You don't live it, you've lost yourself<br />to rhetoric and roles that protect obscene wealth.<br /><br />Numb to yourself, you spread such pain.<br />You tear apart loves. You butcher and maim.<br /><br />A coward follows orders and is proud to kill.<br />The brave think and act, true to their own will.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>Marilyn Davis, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09678039492229490762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485356291359572164.post-40097235861122204382008-07-28T13:14:00.000-07:002008-12-09T01:50:35.141-08:00The High Sierra<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5_YR7hQWvGlJILCD-2lD1oyGJgBMNMAmxx_AveUWAEnKpRCBT1PW6BCaUkChdbxLUP8czj2v18xs2HShkR0xixFrcOSWOH9REobuUGBXzDqOn1eAYYFDRUSNNuuWQzbfB0Y8RswVhyE/s1600-h/one.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5_YR7hQWvGlJILCD-2lD1oyGJgBMNMAmxx_AveUWAEnKpRCBT1PW6BCaUkChdbxLUP8czj2v18xs2HShkR0xixFrcOSWOH9REobuUGBXzDqOn1eAYYFDRUSNNuuWQzbfB0Y8RswVhyE/s320/one.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228874931431076178" align="left" border="0" /></a><br />If you are doubtful<br />that Nature has a Plan,<br />if you think you should worry<br />because you are Man<br /><br /><br />A High Sierra hike<br />will put all doubt to rest,<br />Where trial sirens beckon,<br />"The next sight's the best".<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwIBjwWvutj0G0MY3YEbx3SJx8Z8-Mx8lIaK2M0j7x9tRkt5zZWwk0DZfVeDCfzMHzVtctjtjuI8-zBTFPquqTl4snEwxDC-YqY4nVnlOwFIv26FhLSQtK2hib5NsuJSNYBY2-0230rY/s1600-h/delicate+flower.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwIBjwWvutj0G0MY3YEbx3SJx8Z8-Mx8lIaK2M0j7x9tRkt5zZWwk0DZfVeDCfzMHzVtctjtjuI8-zBTFPquqTl4snEwxDC-YqY4nVnlOwFIv26FhLSQtK2hib5NsuJSNYBY2-0230rY/s320/delicate+flower.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228876461360544306" align="right" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />You'll contrast the mountain's<br />old age, strength, and power,<br />with the exquisitely intricate<br />unfolding flower.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtI6XugWOkUKl5cqTHrlOzAP1DO0arxzY9De3w2yP-pQ-i3Mj_otBUTDTWi8sxGqsg7uAQVmeHjXATmhUOTKoa58CMJlKQhJUjYI3c5UNGPrn_FeSjnbwT_ZtMz_3LQJnGNNlW7FP2V0/s1600-h/yellow+field.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtI6XugWOkUKl5cqTHrlOzAP1DO0arxzY9De3w2yP-pQ-i3Mj_otBUTDTWi8sxGqsg7uAQVmeHjXATmhUOTKoa58CMJlKQhJUjYI3c5UNGPrn_FeSjnbwT_ZtMz_3LQJnGNNlW7FP2V0/s320/yellow+field.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228239059440962530" align="left" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br />And bouquets of wild colors<br />splashed on the meadow,<br />smile, wink, and wave<br />in sunshine and shadow.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3PoarIo35PisywSlsz1zJwvT40gDEriUxFkl4JDFOHFupjo2UQmpgZ6okgswN3AEA0-RUi841nqHUCls5iOILWGlJddVfiKCo1o-LRjax2HgAPv4K42s3mUeyg-56hUuyuHIR51Vv3g/s1600-h/composite_done.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3PoarIo35PisywSlsz1zJwvT40gDEriUxFkl4JDFOHFupjo2UQmpgZ6okgswN3AEA0-RUi841nqHUCls5iOILWGlJddVfiKCo1o-LRjax2HgAPv4K42s3mUeyg-56hUuyuHIR51Vv3g/s400/composite_done.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228237003199403394" align="right" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br />Such warm sky and sunshine,<br />but never enough,<br />to melt the old snow<br />in the crag 'neath the bluff.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjit31e91x7u4P4RL1Rjnq8pI8I3gIT3yFCyiDFIMJQVTI-mGYXxkOmivpP-aOWs9UiTUQ2UQ05fjo3QY-UcJ4ekFenkphCftCno_hGgDwPJKG0hyphenhyphenm8Fg-7XrqzlbTGiTawj-Pv6QlDyB8/s1600-h/lake.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjit31e91x7u4P4RL1Rjnq8pI8I3gIT3yFCyiDFIMJQVTI-mGYXxkOmivpP-aOWs9UiTUQ2UQ05fjo3QY-UcJ4ekFenkphCftCno_hGgDwPJKG0hyphenhyphenm8Fg-7XrqzlbTGiTawj-Pv6QlDyB8/s320/lake.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228294305463862914" align="left" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A challenging trail<br />leads up to the blue,<br />where a shimmering lake<br />patiently waits for you.<br /><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3Ba1JoFHrAz6T75aJGJ-DbJ2J5ki3b4uEFn8ITjb0EBaPcB4g-b22B46Q8X13VZUlj0XRUHNDudx416mrhTK1eJQ5unHeS3JDC94_Rz1UEJ4BgcKOywiBKK0rzTgEEYIu9Ytz4zNo6I/s1600-h/waterfall.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3Ba1JoFHrAz6T75aJGJ-DbJ2J5ki3b4uEFn8ITjb0EBaPcB4g-b22B46Q8X13VZUlj0XRUHNDudx416mrhTK1eJQ5unHeS3JDC94_Rz1UEJ4BgcKOywiBKK0rzTgEEYIu9Ytz4zNo6I/s320/waterfall.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228239071978606562" align="left" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Streams and cascades<br />splash down rocks as they roll<br />through the valley and leave us<br />a good fishing hole.<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpuEDS1zeF-mYRntwFfrI6dzqxXUp6EIMH0a4CRGNJgBxsdfcbnX-r9OEfYs6YPZ0w71oTUXeaj-gh68hToJAr7oY3NVhWPI74ZgZpVl15hKDDAjrAe3SboiReww8FnPVktZmxwpbVS4/s1600-h/ugly+bugs.JPG"><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpuEDS1zeF-mYRntwFfrI6dzqxXUp6EIMH0a4CRGNJgBxsdfcbnX-r9OEfYs6YPZ0w71oTUXeaj-gh68hToJAr7oY3NVhWPI74ZgZpVl15hKDDAjrAe3SboiReww8FnPVktZmxwpbVS4/s320/ugly+bugs.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228874931431076178" align="right" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Buzz buzzing bees<br />all doing their duty,<br />And mysterious bugs<br />that redefine beauty.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Lizards and squirrels<br />take a peek, then are coy.<br />Plants stretch out their leaves<br />to offer their joy.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTFMEdOdra-SxUrMGBhILjxo5_KgYAW1D0E48m3PieIUsInGtca9nz601kvaEbt9u84Hpy-S1ecv5Bl0bpb0088ZRHuFKv6yqzozCFj83PWkUIbasRmci0AvZ8umyMsyRApmoLnC4P9g/s1600-h/big+leaves.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTFMEdOdra-SxUrMGBhILjxo5_KgYAW1D0E48m3PieIUsInGtca9nz601kvaEbt9u84Hpy-S1ecv5Bl0bpb0088ZRHuFKv6yqzozCFj83PWkUIbasRmci0AvZ8umyMsyRApmoLnC4P9g/s320/big+leaves.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228295013626870674" align="right" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMLhpkb94-9hqGgAsYArY0TK8WSg9DwuQoIoKxVUR540D4bEPq3mbJ6fiFovpZeELOg796bwzsa51JXx9Bou7mgQfJKKrkEd9rSkroioSeHKaKnSlWir7az05q6tevEL29pcx8jzU3lI/s1600-h/blue+butterfly.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMLhpkb94-9hqGgAsYArY0TK8WSg9DwuQoIoKxVUR540D4bEPq3mbJ6fiFovpZeELOg796bwzsa51JXx9Bou7mgQfJKKrkEd9rSkroioSeHKaKnSlWir7az05q6tevEL29pcx8jzU3lI/s320/blue+butterfly.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228295006494304898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Butterflies flit<br />up the path on your way.<br />They're proud to exhibit<br />their detailed display.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_4_udt9VdnkDP6VzctZQWzCRW3S2O80gLdOW0azR7hCkAD-vHmKJphaW9gDKaJ22143MjM6JAshFXrLTA8wgBZpStbnG8k9cEtPeHOAjT5pzEy51H4dhWTcuwS2Eo2w7CON5zYfW0xg/s1600-h/pattern+butterfly.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_4_udt9VdnkDP6VzctZQWzCRW3S2O80gLdOW0azR7hCkAD-vHmKJphaW9gDKaJ22143MjM6JAshFXrLTA8wgBZpStbnG8k9cEtPeHOAjT5pzEy51H4dhWTcuwS2Eo2w7CON5zYfW0xg/s320/pattern+butterfly.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228294296940153762" align="right" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Delighted, you hear<br />the song of a bird<br />as she retells the story<br />that she's always heard.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPheVG_xeuKnuOWWsbjT81dAhDnusILe32ZMkNLfekQAER4pFb_4r7Gb_ZyoZeBm2yWQF-fjwfPXVbel68BCtlVqzbmSEpVkF4pptl2EzOjQL__vtofAdlbMSNwtv53wXR4ZQBz5-ygsc/s1600-h/white+butterfly.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPheVG_xeuKnuOWWsbjT81dAhDnusILe32ZMkNLfekQAER4pFb_4r7Gb_ZyoZeBm2yWQF-fjwfPXVbel68BCtlVqzbmSEpVkF4pptl2EzOjQL__vtofAdlbMSNwtv53wXR4ZQBz5-ygsc/s320/white+butterfly.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228239064117868562" align="left" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Your stomach is growling,<br />nothing's left in your pack.<br />It's sad to remember<br />it's time to turn back.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsHvYyJOVN9JYu0HwDpPPchooN2N6uA6sEfBzf2cefar93BsCNn1hCmtp3FZHD6l4cInTYrm5VBEtR5ylBIkm_EVDDeForZJzfNe5uNjwRjsW0mZC1PACI69hxuIp6rcSxkLnsY6KyNc/s1600-h/last.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsHvYyJOVN9JYu0HwDpPPchooN2N6uA6sEfBzf2cefar93BsCNn1hCmtp3FZHD6l4cInTYrm5VBEtR5ylBIkm_EVDDeForZJzfNe5uNjwRjsW0mZC1PACI69hxuIp6rcSxkLnsY6KyNc/s320/last.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228237579529579410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Marilyn Davis<br />Camping and hiking<br />7/10-20/2008<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfx4JSiULMVA1RqA_JZaLNvImxhcwis0T0unY9gv83gkZE1y2Nbc2rKSxq1iO_SwiT6Zu8Y8lY-oxrpdKNUPd4RTibDVLJWGyYSVMMTNaL9KveoAwSQJSrDo2XGvFDXvEDTmC9mVKuo4/s1600-h/heavy+flower.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfx4JSiULMVA1RqA_JZaLNvImxhcwis0T0unY9gv83gkZE1y2Nbc2rKSxq1iO_SwiT6Zu8Y8lY-oxrpdKNUPd4RTibDVLJWGyYSVMMTNaL9KveoAwSQJSrDo2XGvFDXvEDTmC9mVKuo4/s320/heavy+flower.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228294996397574050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxR1oYa4iEXLGw94YNfLFHqTaaeXZ3lPGCTHfAimSCxhR7eYCywGFb5BsVimfoislWJ7rhpfO3DC9j5Jgfdbks7POP-umv5Ysk-EFOM63osbCOxZ5D0u_h69DEktuSWQfIjPZ7ytYuVuM/s1600-h/colorful+flowers.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxR1oYa4iEXLGw94YNfLFHqTaaeXZ3lPGCTHfAimSCxhR7eYCywGFb5BsVimfoislWJ7rhpfO3DC9j5Jgfdbks7POP-umv5Ysk-EFOM63osbCOxZ5D0u_h69DEktuSWQfIjPZ7ytYuVuM/s320/colorful+flowers.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228295007087866930" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkDPkXNt4JeNkizdbMug5Kfy-dSDv9TlXa1dAM5-Smm_Joawslf_PQW0RNkNqBhvdJYBZ8PwQcdDlU4WnGltEvUfYH7yzMcINaTG91an6sZCyRE53ABBwmiLIHYcc1ht3So8yQObNg0w/s1600-h/pine+cones.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkDPkXNt4JeNkizdbMug5Kfy-dSDv9TlXa1dAM5-Smm_Joawslf_PQW0RNkNqBhvdJYBZ8PwQcdDlU4WnGltEvUfYH7yzMcINaTG91an6sZCyRE53ABBwmiLIHYcc1ht3So8yQObNg0w/s320/pine+cones.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228294289052240242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Photos by <a href="http://clintdavis.com/">my X</a>.</span>Marilyn Davis, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09678039492229490762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485356291359572164.post-56906247851489137012008-06-29T13:05:00.000-07:002008-08-23T11:49:48.749-07:00The Rejection and Response To It<pre><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >---------------------------- Original Message ------------</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >Subject: Re: EVT '08</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >From: "Marilyn Davis" </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >Date: Sun, June 29, 2008 11:19 am</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >To: "David Dill and Tadayoshi Kohno" </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >----------------------------------------------------------</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >Dear EVT '08,</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >Thank you so much for taking the time to critique my paper.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >I was hoping that either it would accepted, or that the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >critique would convince me that I'm wrong.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >I'm sorry if my lack of knowledge about academia offended</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >anyone, or my misuse of any technical language. I do<br />think</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >my meaning is always clear.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >The big "danger" in Internet Voting is that a reliable</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >user-controlled identity database and appropriate software</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >would signify a democratic revolution, one in which the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >citizens can overpower corporations and governments to</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >control pollution, research, and all social programs.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >I work in a vacuum because the study of Internet voting is<br />a</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >vacuum. Following the Computer Professionals for Social</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >Responsibility links: "Voting Technology"->"Internet<br />Voting"</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >only finds: "Right now, no new information". This<br />is what</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >they have said since before 2006 when<br />deliberate.com ran</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >their annual election over the Internet<br />via email. Having</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >an Internet election caused a furor in<br />the organization, and</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >an attempt to suppress public<br />knowledge of the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >email/Internet election. There were no<br />accuracy, technology</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >or privacy problems reported.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >It doesn't appear that the reviewers of my paper had</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >anything factual to say about networks or the DNS. This<br />is</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >a very significant part of the plan; these and that,</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >whatever evil happens, the voters themselves can see and</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >repair their votes. This is the new opportunity that the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >Internet affords and seems to have been ignored.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >The reviewers did make technical complaints that equally</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >apply to vote-by-mail; they expressed fear that people</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >themselves are not capable of taking individual</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >responsibility for their OPIKs; and it seemed to escape<br />them</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >that each individual's degree of privacy is,<br />rightfully,</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >her/his own decision.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >These new voter responsibilities, i.e., powers, have not</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >been possible before the Internet.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >I believe people are hungry for responsibility and power,</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >given the state and direction of the earth, and the<br />evidence</span> <span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >of faulty elections which render our votes and<br />current</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >democracy meaningless. Certainly, it is not<br />academia's job</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >to hide the existence of the technical<br />possibilities of this</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >responsibility and power.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >The CAPTCHA, i.e., wiggly character recognition to<br />determine</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >if the respondent is human, as explained, is to<br />prevent</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >successful viruses, as explained. Yes, the<br />CAPTCHA race is</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >on. I don't believe reCAPTCHA has been<br />broken.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >However, if a CAPTCHA is solved, and a bogus vote entered</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >via a virus, again, the voter can see this, report it, and</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >repair it. And, all the other voters can be warned of the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >virus and the CAPTHCHA can be changed. Again, the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >redundancy of checking, the continued correspondence with</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >voters, and possibility of fixing, both on-the-fly and<br />after</span> <span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >the election, seem to be completely ignored by the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >reviewers.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >Yes, government-sponsored computer-scientists repeatedly</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >paint a dismal picture of Internet Voting.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >Academics, historically, provide faulty "science" to<br />protect</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >the existing power structure: from protecting the<br />Church by</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >ignoring the roundness of the earth, to<br />protecting the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >chemical companies by ignoring the dangers<br />of amalgams,</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >pheromone-spraying, etc.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >It is human nature, not conspiracy, to mimic the status<br />quo</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >and to try to please the existing powers. It is the<br />default</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >personal mechanism and is very short-sited, not<br />taking the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >long-term picture into account.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >I know that the original government-sponsored study in<br />2000,</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >"California Internet Voting Task Force", does not<br />mention</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >email voting, although they knew that my group<br />ran the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >online version of the Zapatistas' Consulta in<br />1998. Yet,</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >originally, (it has been changed) they<br />discussed retina</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >scanning, which is frightening to think<br />about and absolute</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >nonsense for home voting. The early<br />version was a very</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >biased account and the more recent<br />version only hides the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >bias better.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >Nowhere, that I can find, are the benefits of networked</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >voting, email voting, and user-controlled privacy<br />discussed.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >If there was reasonable academic discussion of these</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >subjects, being only a teacher and a practical engineer, I</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >would not have tried to put forward an academic paper.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >Thank you again for your time and attention.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >Marilyn Davis, Ph.D.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> On Tue, May 20, 2008 10:35 pm, David Dill and Tadayoshi</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Kohno wrote:</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Thank you for submitting the paper identified at the end</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> of this email to the 2008 USENIX/ACCURATE Electronic</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Voting Technology Workshop. All papers underwent a</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> thorough reviewing process. We regret to inform you that</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> your paper was not one of those selected.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Please find attached the reviewers' comments, which we</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> hope is useful to you in your continuing research. Once</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> again, thank you for submitting your paper to EVT '08,<br />> and</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >we hope that you will be able to attend the<br />> conference in</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >San Jose.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Sincerely,</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> David Dill and Tadayoshi Kohno</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> EVT '08 Program Co-Chairs</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Title: A Specification for Absolutely Accurate and</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Perfectly Private Election Voting Via the Internet</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Authors: Marilyn Davis</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Email: marilyn@deliberate.com</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Title: A Specification for Absolutely Accurate and</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Perfectly Private Election Voting Via The Internet</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> This paper presents a scheme for voting over the Internet,</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> with the possibility of canceling one's online vote and</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> instead voting in person. Voter identities are kept</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> private by pseudonymization with an "OPIK card", a token</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> that allows the voter to vote. Voting is performed by</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> email with a confirmation mailback including a CAPTCHA.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> The paper does not frame its problem well, nor does it</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> frame its contributions within the existing literature at</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> all. The solution presented has a significant number of</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> weaknesses even if all assumptions are</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> accepted. Furthermore, a number of the assumptions are</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> dubious. In addition, the compromises made in the design</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> are not justified, as much prior work has achieved the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> desired results without compromising the types of attacks</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> this work is willing to accept.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Thus, I recommend rejecting this paper.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> DESIGN PROBLEMS</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Even assuming all assumptions are correct, there are a</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> number of serious design problems:</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> 1) What happens when a voter loses her OPIK card? Since</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> OPIK cards can be kept for a few years, and since the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> election administrators don't know which OPIK card to</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> cancel, does that mean Alice can no longer vote for up to</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> a few years? That is significantly problematic. On the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> other hand, if a voter *can* obtain a new OPIK, how does</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> one invalidate the old one, since no one knows which it</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> is? If we make the assumption that lost cards won't be</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> used, then we open up the system to voter abuse: Alice<br />> can</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > falsely claim that she has "lost" her OPIK card and<br />> get a</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >new one, thus enabling two votes.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> No matter how this issue is addressed, there seems to be<br />> a</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > deep problem with the solution, which implies a</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> significant design flaw with the OPIK.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> 2) How can election administrators really be prevented</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> from knowing which OPIK card a voter takes? Most voting</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> offices will not be overwhelmed with voters if voters<br />> have</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:monospace;"></span> weeks to register, which means it is trivial for a<br />> voting</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > administrator to look at the list of OPIK cards<br />> before</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >Alice registers, and after she registers, and<br />> deduce which</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >OPIK card she took. Devising an actually<br />> secure process</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > for OPIK card distribution seems quite<br />> difficult, and</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >again this appears to be an inherent<br />> design flaw.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> 3) If OPIKs are linked to email addresses chosen by the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> voter, it's fairly clear that most voters will choose an</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> email address that easily identifies them and that</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> election officials will thus know who the voter is.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> 4) Email is unencrypted, which means the contents of the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> vote are available to all of the servers on the path to</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> email delivery. That's a serious security issue.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> PROBLEMATIC ASSUMPTIONS </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Digging into the assumptions, there are significant</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> problems:</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> - The idea that a voter will come up with an anonymous,</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> unforgeable scribble is hard to believe. Even signatures</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> are relatively easily faked (see credit card fraud), and</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> the ease of forging goes up if the scribble is not one<br />> the</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > voter is used to writing and thus will have to take<br />> time</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > in reproducing.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> - Relying on DNS is a very poor assumption, especially</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> given the way DNS has been routinely attacked by</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> phishers/farmers. The same attacks can be achieved to</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> intercept email, and these attacks are particularly<br />> easily</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > done when the target (the community computer)<br />> is</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > known. The fact that email is unencrypted and</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> unauthenticated makes this even worse, since even a</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> pristine community computer would be vulnerable to<br />> network</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > spoofers and evil routers.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> CONCEPTUAL PROBLEMS</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> - why a CAPTCHA? I don't see what this is trying to<br />> defend</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > against. A computer can easily man-in-the-middle<br />> a</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > CAPTCHA, and since the voter has the OPIK, a program<br />> on</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >its own can't initiate a vote. This seems like a</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> conceptual misunderstanding of what CAPTCHAs are for.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> - the author is confused about the meaning of retail<br />> fraud</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >vs. wholesale fraud. These terms usually refer to<br />> the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >ability to corrupt a single precinct vs. the entire</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> election. Voter coercion does not fit into this pattern,</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> as it can be done outside the precinct, especially when</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> voting is done online.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> The author should be much more precise about the threat</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> model. Not everything falls under "retail" or<br />> "wholesale."</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > Coercion and integrity protection are<br />> different issues.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> - The author implies that it will be tedious to coerce a</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> lot of voters, which is untrue: selling votes is trivial</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> when the entire voting process can be done online by</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> sending your credentials to a coercer. Significant</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> evidence exists to show that coercion was rampant before</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> the secret ballot was introduced in the late 1800s. There</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> is also evidence from Chile in the 1950s that introducing</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> the secret ballot radically changed the political</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> landscape. The author provides no evidence, only an</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> opinion, that coercion is "prohibitively expensive,"<br />> when</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > many experts agree it would not be so expensive to<br />> coerce</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > enough votes to swing an election.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> - the author is confused about the term "encryption," in</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Appendix D, where the term is used where "cryptography"<br />> is</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > probably the intention. The three bullets respectively</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> concern authentication, integrity protection, and</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> confidentiality. Encryption is only about<br />> confidentiality.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> - the trade-off between coercion and verification is a</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> false one. Much work, specifically in the area of</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> open-audit voting and universal verifiability has shown</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> how both can be achieved. The author is certainly free to</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> dislike those approaches and document the reasons for the</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> dislike, but the claim that the trade-off is necessary is</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> factually incorrect.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> POOR PRESENTATION </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> - there is zero framing of the problem within the<br />> existing</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >literature. How does this compare to blind-<br />> signature based</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > online voting, e.g. the FOO protocol?<br />> What about</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > pre-voting (Rivest), which seems to have some<br />> important</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > similarities regarding canceling one's online<br />> vote?</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> - the discussion of network topology and protocols is<br />> very</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > haphazard and references no existing work in robust</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> network design.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> - bold claims are made without any evidence or even a</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> proof sketch. For example: "Internet voting in an open</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> vote, open source network offers unprecedented<br />> opportunity</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > for election security". How so, when most<br />> experts believe</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > Internet voting is highly insecure?</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> =======================================================================</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> This paper describes a remote voting system which offers<br />> a</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > physical analogy to the well-known blind signature</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> approach. While it's quite clear that the author has<br />> put</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > a lot of time and careful thought into this design,<br />> it</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > seems to offer nothing that can't be achieved via<br />> simpler</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > and less expensive means while introducing<br />> additional</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > assumptions and vulnerabilities.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> The primary drawback of the blind signature approach is</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> that it enables election administrators to substitute</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> votes of their own choosing for any voters who do not<br />> cast</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > votes. Although this threat is briefly discussed</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> (appendix c.1.2.2), the mitigations suggested are far<br />> from</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > convincing.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> The entire issue of remote voting is quite controversial,</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> and the author creates a false dichotomy by suggesting</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> that there is a trade-off between an open-auditing</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> approach and an approach that prevents retail coercion.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> While it is very difficult and probably impractical to</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> prevent retail coersion in a remote voting system, it is</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> certainly possible to have both open-auditability and</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> protection from coercion in poll-station voting systems.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> In comparing retail and wholesale fraud, the author makes</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> the incredible claim that "... retail fraud is much less</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> likely to happen, ..." This is absurd as some retail</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> fraud is virtually certain to happen in any election that</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> admits more than a small number of remote votes.<br />> Coercion</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > is a real problem in elections, and the attempt<br />> to dismiss</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > it so easily is misguided. One can certainly<br />> argue that</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >the consequences of wholesale fraud are more<br />> severe, but</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > to claim that it is more likely than retail<br />> fraud is</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > preposterous.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> Claims made about the use of CAPTCHAs are also naive.<br />> The</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > idea that needing to recognize a small amount of<br />> obscured</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > text will provide security ignores the facts<br />> that it is</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > inexpensive for humans to perform these tasks<br />> and that</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > machines have generally become quite good at<br />> this without</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> human intervention. Indeed, the entire<br />> notion of</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > wholesale attacks that could be inflicted by<br />> the use of</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > viruses or exploitation of other<br />> software/hardware</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > vulnerabilities seems to be given<br />> minimal treatment.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >> The author should be commended for the care, thought,<br />> and</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > effort put into this work, but it is a mistake to<br />> work in</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > a vacuum. As is clear from both the text and<br />> the meager</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > list of references, the author is not well-<br />> versed in</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > related literature on this subject. Any<br />> credible work on</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > this subject needs to include a<br />> thorough comparison to</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >related work and demonstrate<br />> clear benefits to all such</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" > related work. This simply<br />> hasn't benn done here.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >>===========================================================</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >>===========================================================</span><br /></pre>Marilyn Davis, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09678039492229490762noreply@blogger.com