From: Robert Hettinga <rah@shipwright.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 23:58:40 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Dust off your anonymous voting protocols...
Message-ID: <v04020a04b2525b89c40b@[139.167.130.246]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Now all we need is a modern-day Robbespierre?

I love the smell of mob rule in the morning?

Nawwwwww...

Cheers,
Bob Hettinga

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Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 10:46:02 -0600
To: rah@shipwright.com
From: cwheeler@activmedia.com
Subject: Will 'Net Ballots Supplant Congress?

          WILL DIRECT DEMOCRACY PRE-EMPT SOME OF CONGRESS'S POWER?
                 Questions Remain about Implementation

ActivMedia Research (http://www.activmedia.com) - Two of three Internet
afficionados think online elections are a good idea (66% to 33%). The same
proportion would like to be able to vote on ballot referenda and exercise
direct democracy via the 'Net (67%).

"Obviously, the technical ability to move toward direct democracy must be
accompanied by debate about its merits and what is an appropriate level of
technocratic and professional decision-making on our behalf," notes
ActivMedia's Director of Information Services Chris Anne Wheeler. "Some
laws are best implemented by professionals for the public good such as
environmental protection, national defense, and public welfare. But
virtually all online consumers polled in ActivMedia's FutureScapes agree
that a sunshine policy making legislative bills, voting records, and
budgets available online for public inspection would be a good idea (97%)."

-------------------------------------------------------------
                 CIVIC RESPONSIBILITIES ONLINE
                          (Good Idea)
                                  Total Sample  4+ Yrs Online
                                  ------------  -------------
Vote for elected officials              66%          71%
Vote on ballot referenda                67%          72%
Search bills, voting records, budgets   97%          98%
--------------------------------------------------------------
Source: FutureScapes Study, ActivMedia Research, (c) 1998


Survey respondents with 4+ years of online experience the greatest
propensity to want to vote online. As expected, younger (under 15) as well
as older (over 65) 'Netizens show a somewhat higher resistance to carrying
out civic responsibilities online. The conservatives in the Northeast show
a slightly greater resistance especially when it comes to voting for
elected officials (63%), but essentially the desire to vote online is
favored by the majority no matter their demographic background.

All across the country, websites are cropping up that help voters weed
through the oftentimes overwhelming amount of information on candidates and
issues. The greatest challenge for voters is tracking down objective
nonpartisan sources of candidate information. Trials of online voting are
scarce as policy-makers grapple with issues of fraud and security.


Data in this release is from ActivMedia Research's syndicated study
"FutureScapes: Refining 'Net Strategy for the 21st Century." The full study
of online habits and interests of 5,600 online citizens is available to
purchase for $2,995 (single copy) or $5,000 (multi-user site license).

ActivMedia Incorporated conducts custom and syndicated research that guides
businesses to profitable online positions. Since 1994, ActivMedia has been
detailing global 'Net trends and sector slices with a series of
quantitative research reports, market analyses and case studies. Insightful
analyses and accessible data support rational businesses decisions for
clients including Andersen Consulting, Cisco, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Visa,
Yahoo and Ziff-Davis.

CONTACT INFORMATION
ActivMedia, Inc.
http://www.activmedia.com  (Research Home Page)
Email: research@activmedia.com
Harold Wolhandler, Vice President of Market Research
Chris Anne Wheeler, Director of Information Services
Tel: 800-639-9481, 603-924-9100
Fax: 603-924-2184

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-----------------
Robert A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@philodox.com>
Philodox Financial Technology Evangelism <http://www.philodox.com/>
44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
[predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'