[Election-Methods] a story for christmas

[Jan Kok]

Interesting point. There are several "locksmiths" in the voting
methods and voting equipment worlds who profit from selling "locks"
that *look* nice, but are complicated, expensive and not very secure.
They are not pleased when volunteer locksmiths point out that there
are other locks available that are simpler, cheaper AND more secure.

As Abd Lomax likes to point out, we have voting machines because
pencil and paper manufacturers don't lobby elections departments!

Cheers,
- Jan

On Dec 26, 2007 3:33 PM, Paul Kislanko <jpkislanko at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
>
> I know this is a late reply, but in the REAL world the locksmith would never
> have suggested the idea in the first place, since his maximum utility would
> be achieved by having different locks on every door, since in that case when
> someone lost their key they'd have to call him.
>
> The "locksmith's utility" is maximized by the locksmith MINIMIZING the
> "landlord utility." The more keys the landlord needs to maintain, the higher
> the expected revenue received by the locksmith.
>
> The whole idea that a locksmith would minimize his own utility to maxmize
> the landlord's is so far off the credibility scale that it is not worth
> considering even as an analogy, and the rest of the story is just right-ring
> propoganda that has nothing to do with election methods.
>
> It was thought-provoking, though, even if it was illogical.
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