Voters News Service: What Went Wrong

ddtstudio writes "Baseline Magazine has a pretty good recounting of how even the national TV networks can have a computer network go wrong -- in this case the night of the last U.S. election. From the article: "VNS had been trying to rewrite and retool the system for years. This was just the most recent attempt and it failed miserably." Oracle, IBM, BEA Systems -- all crashed."

Aha, so...

[trveler]

GWB Jr. is their fault!

Let's get an open source solution for this

[Znonymous Coward]

Who wants to start an open source project to replace this failed service. We'll use Linux, MySQL, Perl, PHP and Apache. Any takers?

Re:Oh BooHoo

[GothChip]

Also, the networks would be unable to give the type of detailed explanations as to why voters voted the way they did this time around. For example, according to TV network analysts working the election, the networks wouldn't be able to tell viewers why particular demographic groups voted for specific candidates nor the issues that they considered most or least important when voting."

The computer predictions were probably right. It was the final vote count that was wrong.

Okay, I'll burn karma...

[Tsar]

"Oracle, IBM, BEA Systems -- all crashed!"

Doesn't that sound like a line from a bad disaster movie?
DIE HARD IV: DIE HARDWARE.

Re:Oh BooHoo

[Sick Boy]

I guess this would be why the British people still have a monarchy.

OS 390

[Zayin]

One stipulation: That the new system use more flexible and current programming languages--Java and the Extensible Markup Language-- rather than OS 390 to gather, compute and deliver data to the media outlets.

Ah, yes. The programming language OS 390. Are there any O'Reilly books on that subject?

Re:Okay, I'll burn karma...

[mccalli]

Sounds more like a stock market report to me...

Cheers,
Ian

No wonder..

[TheVidiot]

Oracle + Java + BEA = burrrp!

Well, I know why

[b17bmbr]

apparently they weren't connected with .NET enterprise software!!

Re:First hand account

[johnalex]

OK, the gentleman in me compels me to edit this, but you've all seen the story before:

In the beginning was the Plan and then came the Assumption.

And the Assumptions were without form, and the Plan was completely without substance, and darkness was upon the faces of the workers.

And they spoke amongst themselves saying, "It is a crock of crap, and it stinketh."

And the workers went unto their supervisors and sayeth, "It is a pail of dung and none may abide the odor thereof."

And the supervisors went unto their managers and sayeth unto them, "It is a container of excrement and it is very strong, such that none may abide by it."

And the managers went unto their directors and sayeth, "It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide its strength."

And the directors spoke among themselves saying to one another, "It contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong."

And the directors went unto their vice presidents to sayeth unto them, "It promotes growth and is very powerful."

And the vice presidents went unto the president and sayeth unto him, "This new plan will actively promote the growth and efficiency of this company, and these areas in particular."

And the president looked upon the Plan, and saw that it was good.

And the Plan became Policy.

And this is how Crap Happens.