Voter News Service: What Went Wrong?

Providing service to the networks for years, the VNS imploded the last to major elections. What happened? Now the story can be told. A must read article for system architects and project managers.

Lessons to keep in mind:

  1. Test early: Stress-test your system at least six months before launch
  2. Test heavy: Put it through at least 10 times as much activity as you really expect
  3. Trick yourself: Establish a deadline at least two months in advance of the “real” deadline and make all project managers and vendors comply
  4. Name one chief: Regardless how many partners, consultants and vendors are involved, give one person ultimate decision-making power
  5. Don’t reinvent the wheel: Make good use of existing personnel and technology, where possible

Sometimes I dwell in discussion boards

Garret has an interesting conversation taking place in his discussion board about activism thru the last forty years and the apparent apathy that’s taken hold. Me and a fellow Gen-Xer, a fellow named Chris, are discussing the article “Why Gen X Doesn?t Care that it Doesn?t Care About the War” that Garret linked a couple days back.

How to think about security – or any feature request for that matter

This five-step process works for any security measure, past, present, or future:

  1. What problem does it solve?
  2. How well does it solve the problem?
  3. What new problems does it add?
  4. What are the economic and social costs?
  5. Given the above, is it worth the costs?

When you start using it, you’d be surprised how ineffectual most security is these days. For example, only two of the airline security measures put in place since September 11 have any real value: reinforcing the cockpit door, and convincing passengers to fight back. Everything else falls somewhere between marginally improving security and a placebo.

Read the rest at in the Crypto-Gram newwsletter. via Cafe au Lait.

Like Kryptonite To Stupid

Check out Oliver Willis’ observation on how the media is reacting to the new ad campaign on SUVs and oil depenency (of course it’s not going to get run anywhere).

Those of you who like to paint the media in broad generalizations should have a field day arguing over this one.

Update: Go to the Detroit Project site to see the advertisements.

And you think YOU take gaming too seriously…

The investigation of the cybercafes, also known as “PC bangs” or “cybercafes,” came after a brawl erupted between rival groups playing in a tournament involving the online combat game “Counter Strike.” … One unidentified teenager was shot in the leg on Monday outside an Internet cafe in Northridge, a suburb that is part of Los Angeles. A second youth was struck in the head, reportedly with a chair.

Read the rest at Reuters.

In unrelated news…. the new Reuters design is tailor made to make it my source for news over CNN. Good job Reuters.