[Am-info] Voting the Microsoft Way

[Roy Bixler]

On Fri, Jul 18, 2003 at 11:50:11AM -0700, Mitch Stone wrote:
> Actually, there is a good reason to use Javascript for an e-mail lin - 
> it prevents spambots from harvesting the address. I do this on my web 
> pages now.

Even better is to have a simple HTML form which calls a script on the
server which simply mails the submitted form contents to your
concealed address.  This would do the trick for most but, as the
following story shows, not if you're da Prez:

Bush's e-mail faces DoS attack
http://theregister.co.uk/content/28/31829.html

But, I digress.  I believe the above simple technique is what the
'www.serveusa.gov' site uses for their 'Contact' link.  If it weren't
for the Javascript, then practically any browser could use it.  I
notice that 'www.serveusa.gov' uses Javascript for other links besides
the 'Contact' link, so their reason for doing so remains obscure.

However, I have some hints on this.  Netcraft says their Web server is
hosted on Win2K running IIS 5.  Also, based on their answer to the
following "frequently asked question", they use the Microsoft-centric
vendor Accenture to implement their voting system:

    Have you employed the service of U.S. firm Votehere.net? It
    provides a system featuring a split encrypted database for
    security.

    The Department of Defense conducted a competitive procurement to
    obtain a vendor to supply a secure Internet-based registration and
    voting system to meet our requirements. The winning team is headed
    by Accenture, with election.com, Hart InterCivic, VeriSign,
    Avanade and AFFINA as subcontractors.

-- 
Roy Bixler <rcb@bix.org>