Hacker tries to sway online poll

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Hacker tries to sway online poll

Posted by

Mike Buffington

in Top Stories & Breaking News

Thursday, July 26. 2012

Comments (25)

A hacker voted 43 times on Thursday for a candidate in the Barrow Journal's online poll for the state senate race in an apparent attempt to sway the poll's outcome. The votes, which came from a Monroe IP address, were deleted and the hacker barred from further participation in the poll.
"Although the poll is informal, we don't want people trying to distort the outcome," said co-publisher Mike Buffington. "We've had this happen at some of our other newspapers' websites and we've always taken those votes down and blocked the person from being able to vote in the system."
The poll allows online readers to say who they're supporting in the race between incumbent Frank Ginn and challenger Danny Yearwood.

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#1 Anonymous on 07/26/12 at 03:23 PM [Reply]

So is that why Dumbwood was so far ahead this morning?

#1.1 Anonymous on 07/27/12 at 06:20 AM [Reply]

No, if you will read the article again, it states that the "fake" vptes were taken down!
"Dumbwood" as you refer to him is BEATING Ginn 54 to 45

Now who's laughing?

#2 Anonymous on 07/26/12 at 03:32 PM [Reply]

I cast my vote for Yearwood at the ballot box. Frank Ginn has got to go. Anyone supported by Bob Hill is no good in my book.

#3 Anonymous on 07/26/12 at 03:44 PM [Reply]

Hahahaha. I can't believe this is actually news and the best part is the person that was interviewed was the same person who published the article. Are you kidding me? This certainly gave me a good laugh, not because of what happened, but the complete shortfall in terms of journalism.

#4 Anonymous on 07/26/12 at 04:35 PM [Reply]

We can vote as many times as we like on American Idol. Why not here?

#5 phil on 07/26/12 at 04:36 PM [Reply]

Mike,
Does this poll add in Jackson and Madison counties votes? Or, do they have their own poll in their paper too?

#6 Beth on 07/26/12 at 10:36 PM [Reply]

Well, as of now Yearwood is winning 54 to 45, so if the votes were taken doen, then tha actually means Yearwood is ahead.....but wait, we're talking about an online poll in a small town newspaper, where the writer interviewed himself! Good Luck Danny! You have my vote! Who in the world is this newspaper going to bash when Danny is gone?????

#7 Voter on 07/26/12 at 11:14 PM [Reply]

Mike, You have had many polls. Several times it was the same poll as a month before. Just wondering why you haven't had one for Goodman vs Lampp?

#8 Anonymous on 07/27/12 at 05:05 AM [Reply]

WHO CARES!!! it's obvious the poll isnt going the way Mike wants it, so he shifts through the data and illiminates the votes he doesnt like.

#8.1 Mike Buffington, Publisher on 07/27/12 at 09:00 AM [Reply]

This morning, we found another person who voted 31 times for one of the candidates and we also removed those votes. Keep abusing the system and we will keep taking them down.

#9 Michael Robinson on 07/27/12 at 08:17 AM [Reply]

That's not hacking by either definition.

Maybe this will help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sockpuppet_(Internet)#Ballot_stuffing

#9.1 Anonymous on 07/27/12 at 08:35 AM [Reply]

Calling this person a "hacker" is equivalent to the many references to the comments section here as a "blog." No hacking is required to vote more than once in the pole, and comments left below a newspaper article are certainly NOT a blog. I like the Journal, but the publisher's references to this as a "blog" really get under my skin.

#9.1.1 Mike Buffington, Publisher on 07/27/12 at 08:56 AM [Reply]

Technically, you are correct. It does, however, require some manipulation to vote multiple times and the word "hacker" is about as close as one can get to describe that. The term "blog" is a little more vague. Most people refer to comments online as a "blog" although the technical term "blog" refers to a self-generated website. The use of "blog" is changing, however, and most people here refer to the comments section as a blog, so that's the term we use. I wish we had more precise words to use.

#9.1.1.1 Michael Robinson on 07/27/12 at 09:28 AM [Reply]

"Comments" for comments, "ballot stuffing" for ballot stuffing.

The problem with using "hacker" for everyone who manipulates a system is that good, honest people who explore systems in a way that breaks no laws or rules (or, at the very worst, is done with no intention of deception or harm) also call themselves hackers: http://paulgraham.com/gba.html

Hackers are the same people who gave us IBM PC compatibles and the web, which were the catalysts for the world we're in today. Knowing that, doesn't it seem odd to put the hackers behind those things in the same classification as people who stuff online ballots?

"Hacker," even with qualifiers like "black hat" and "gray hat," gives too much credit to people who stuff online ballots. Fortunately, a term already exists for them: troll.

#9.1.1.2 Anonymous on 07/27/12 at 09:43 AM [Reply]

Manipulation? You can simply visit the website again or refresh it and vote again. Setup a more sophisticated system allowing one vote per IP address if you're so worried about the integrity of these meaningless polls. I appreciate your concern, but you're placing the blame on on other individuals rather than the system where it belongs.

#9.1.1.2.1 Mike Buffington, co-publisher on 07/27/12 at 10:00 AM [Reply]

That's like blaming store when someone shoplifts. There are safeguards in place and you do have to do more than simply refresh to vote again. We've told the computer folks to tighten it up even more, which sill block some office groups where multiple computers share an IP address. And it is the individuals who try to cheat the system who are to blame for gaming the system.

#9.1.1.2.1.1 Anonymous on 07/27/12 at 10:51 AM [Reply]

The premise of this whole article is ridiculous. You are reporting as front page news someone manipulating an online poll. To me, this an ego trip. Essentially you're proud to announce you've made a crusade against people that like to ruin online polls and you are going to announce it to the whole county.

Mike, if you want a tip from someone who agrees with you from time to time, close the comments to this article and let it slowly slip into the archives. Leave polling to professional polling groups, leave the police and court system to prosecuting shoplifters, and let this all go.

What you did is you created a story to satisfy your self-worth and are only making yourself look foolish by letting it continue and commenting on it. Let it go.

#10 Voter on 07/28/12 at 02:44 PM [Reply]

You have had many polls. Several times it was the same poll as a month before. Just wondering why you haven't had one for Goodman vs Lampp?

#10.1 Anonymous on 07/28/12 at 08:23 PM [Reply]

Wondered the same thing myself. Me thinks, it's because the poll would look like this:

Lampp -- 5%
Goodman -- 95%

Got to give Lampp the 5% because of family. You know most of them would vote for him

#10.1.1 Anonymous on 07/29/12 at 12:26 AM [Reply]

LOL. I agree. Me thinks Buffington must be buds with Lampp.

#10.1.2 Anonymous on 07/29/12 at 11:41 PM [Reply]

Don't bet the cow on it.Some of Lampps family wont vote for him.

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