Actually, that does explain a lot of things - all through march I was having issues with Twitter on my Virgin connection yet I could ssh home to my Internode connection and twidge to my hearts content... I complained but they couldn't see a problem (they probably weren't using their own dns servers)

An alternative, have the whole lot done by a couple of programmable microcontroller - in this day and age there's no need to build a whole software system to do this.

The week before polling a manufacturer can burn verified programs to microcontrollers, these can then be run through second and third parties to test the code burnt for verification, drop them into chip mounts inside the booths and again test by second and third partys - build the booths in such away as you need 3 keys to open it one share them out.

Add to that my comment above...

I don't know why everyone has such a problem with this - the act of voting, manually or electronically is rather simple and not an overly difficult task.

Have a touch screen/keyboard overlay that displays the candidates and the computer records the order you tick the boxes.

Then prints on paper in fixed locations to match the screen overlay numbers that represent the order a box was chosen (Look at a lottery quick pick, or a machine readable ticket) print a barcode at the bottom that encodes the time, date, location, etc, the options chosen and a checksum (Perhaps one of those new fangled 3d barcodes so people may even be able to verify it with their phones/etc)

Make sure the print out and the screen are displayed side by side, if they don't match the voter is to manually cross out with a specific pen (no computer crossing out at all).

Oh and make sure they can't unlock the voting booth until they confirm one way or the other :D
If the numbers in b
oxes don't match the barcode the vote is declared illegal.

Added points if after the user verifies the vote it's saved locally, sent to a central location, and uploaded to two independent bodies (which check the central location and each other to verify the vote)

Even more points if the barcodes, votes, and backup systems are checked routinely - like every hour all votes are scanned and compared.

The key here is that the humans and the machines are able to read the primary component printout - barcodes are only there as double checks.

Paper systems aren't foil proof - especially as we're given PENCILS to mark the boxes - and as much as they're under supervision a whole group of supervisors can be abusing the system...

Mod parent up lol

I hope this commonsense stuff is contagious...

Now, if we could just get rid of Conroy and Aktinson - I could almost be proud to call my self an Aussie again...

In which case, can I call 911 (actually 000) because the retards in Canberra keep entertaining stupid stupid ideas? That's making me feel bad....

I've been somewhat tempted by the idea of making and releasing a $20 game that is as gory and politically incorrect as possible - see it get banned in Australia (Which a) won't be hard, b) would be interesting because that's where I am), Russia, Germany...

Encourage piracy and importation of the game in those countries, and keep anonymous statistics of the number of users playing the game in which country - just to demonstrate that bans are ineffective and a waste of time.

Less content, more freedom...

I'd rather have the freedom to watch a movie or show (when I actually find one worth watching) on my old CRT TV (which isn't yet due for replacement through failure) than be forced to upgrade my TV just so some fat cat can get fatter.

Incidentally - isn't most piracy digital, not analog? sure people still record stuff on their VHS recorders and maybe share it with friends and family, but that can't be as bad as someone stripping the DRM from a stream and putting it on a torrent for the whole world to grab.

If I were MPAA I'd be encouraging analog users as the lesser of two evils.

Canadians getting you down?
Threatening to sue because you won't conform?

iptables is your answer!

Simply make it impossible for Canadians to access your site and you will be protecting their privacy in the ultimate way!

Well, Apple DO encourage it...

I suppose, lucky because I know well enough to shop around for ISP's a lot of people literally jump on the incumbent telco/provider, or the first provider that knocks on their door - which would lead me to consider them rather unlucky.

Then there are those who stubbornly refuse to try anything else because they've always known and used the incumbent - I considerer those people rather stupid

It would be sweet if anyone who was getting the ads could upload a tcpdump log somewhere :)

Here in the internet backwater country we call Australia we get a limited amount of bandwidth usage quota.

Every time the PS3/game downloads advertisements it uses my limited quota...

If I run out of quota I either have to buy more, or suffer 64kbit shaping...

And I consider myself lucky, some ISP's charge 18 cents per meg when you go over your quota without the ability to buy more.

I don't mind ads in web pages, or even sensible advertising in online gaming because they constantly require money to upkeep - but a game I've PAID FOR download and am playing OFFLINE doesn't cost the provider a damn cent!