[EM] Re: touch screen voting machines

[David GLAUDE]

Dave Ketchum wrote:

> I was around when Ada (the language) was born and, unless it has 
> improved A LOT, better if it had died YOUNG.  I would have more hope for 
> Java or Linux.

Ada did reborn in 93 when the X of ADA 9X became 3.

Ada is typicaly a language where type checking is very strong.
It mean many mistake commonly done in other language and only detected 
(when it is detected) at runtime will be stop at compilation time.

If you specify that the number of vote for a candidate must be a 
positive value, any attempt to turn that number negative will fail! 
(including 127+1=-127).

Also Ada is a standardized language with many implementation including 
free-software one. So you are not lock with the vendor of the compilator.

Ada is used for many DoD project, if it is good for controling 
missile/train/airplane, it should be OK for election. The only risk is 
that some company close to military develop the code. ;-)

Anybody attempting to program in Ada must be serious about it (or 
creasy). This make sure that startup writing in Visual Basic do not 
attempt to write software for election.

Java require a virtual machine that need to be inspected too. And Open 
Source JVM are hard to find. The only nice thing about Java is that it 
can run inside the chip of a credit card if you have any plan to use 
that for election.

Linux is just a kernel, at least it is Free Software.

David GLAUDE