But by "neutral third party" I am assuming Mr Smoot wants some one other than USGW people on the election committee and running the election -- much as Price-Waterhouse does for the Oscar nominations and balloting. We are not that big, important, and rich to afford to hire an outside contractor to run our elections. <sigh> Jim's proposal has some merit, if there were 4 people on the election committee, three would set up receiving stations for the ballots on three different servers. At the close of balloting, the three receiving stations would report their tally to the 4th committee member. If they all agreed, the results would be sent by all 4 members to the electorate. If there was a discrepancy, the 4 would meet to resolve it. At 10:35 PM 9/15/99 -0400, you wrote: >Before you ask, I realize that I was unclear... by results I >meant as each vote was cast it would be sent to 3 places to >be stored rather than one. > >Jim > >jpowelljr wrote: >> >> While we are on this topic. If it was possible to >> simultaneously send the results to 3 separate servers to be >> compared at the end, would this be nearly the same as a >> neutral third party? >> >> Jim >> >> Shari Handley wrote: >> > >> > For me, this just creates more questions: >> > >> > How does one define a "neutral third party"? For the sake of argument, who >> > is to say whether anyone, *including* RootsWeb, is or is not neutral? How >> > would we go about trying to find another server willing to accomodate us, >> > work closely with the election committee, build and maintain election >> > software, take all the flak that is bound to fly, and all the other things >> > needed - for free? Good luck! Jim indicated that the software used in >> > the runoff worked very well and was easy to administer. Would we be able to >> > use it on another server? >> > >> > Also, was there any evidence at all that RootsWeb acted in anything other >> > than a >> > neutral manner in any of the preceding elections? >> > >> > Shari >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: Tim Stowell <tstowell@chattanooga.net> >> > To: BOARD-L@rootsweb.com <BOARD-L@rootsweb.com> >> > Date: Wednesday, September 15, 1999 9:21 PM >> > Subject: [BOARD-L] Re: Question for you >> > >> > >In response to the question the Board wanted asked of Fred: >> > > >> > >>Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 05:06:25 -0700 >> > >>From: Fred Smoot <dogtrot@well.com> >> > >>Organization: Dog Trot X Press >> > >>To: Tim Stowell <tstowell@chattanooga.net> >> > >>Subject: Re: Question for you >> > >> >> > >>Tim Stowell wrote: >> > >>> >> > >>> Dear Fred, >> > >>> >> > >>> The Advisory Board respectfully wishes to know: what action you wanted >> > to >> > >>> see taken in response to your protest? >> > >>> >> > >>> Thanks, >> > >>> >> > >>> Tim >> > >> >> > >>Dear Tim, >> > >> >> > >>The most simple way to resolve the issue is this: >> > >> >> > >>If the USGenWeb Project Advisory Board will act in good faith to require >> > >>a neutral third party to conduct our future national elections, I will >> > >>withdraw my protest. ("Run-off Election: Formal Protest," dated 31 Aug >> > >>1999) >> > >> >> > >>Fred Smoot >> > >> >> > >> >> > > >> > > > >-- > Jim and Debbie Powell > Family History Surname Connections >Kentucky..POWELL..MADISON..CLAYTON..WINSTEAD..BOURLAND..HIBBS > >UTLEY..EARLE..BUNTIN..MOORE..WILLIAMS..TAPP..WICKLIFFE >North Carolina/South >Carolina..WATKINS..GADDY..NORWOOD..CROUCH > REYNOLDS..BOYD..McGEE..WHITTLE..MADISON..CLAYTON > WINSTEAD..BOURLAND..TAPP..FOWLER >Virginia..OWEN New York/New Jersey..McCLELLAN..LaPAGE >Georgia/Florida..HARRIS..HODGE..FOWLER > Email: Jpowelljr@worldnet.att.net > Family Homepage: Http://www.afn.org/~afn03098/ >Coordinator of Henderson County KyGenweb Page > Http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyhender/ >Coordinator of Gilchrist County FLGenWeb Page > Http://www.rootsweb.com/~flgilchr/ >Coordinator of Alachua County FLGenWeb Page > Http://www.rootsweb.com/~flalachu/ >Coordinator of Bradford County FLGenWeb Page > Http://www.rootsweb.com/~flbradfo/ >Assistant State Coordinator FLGenWeb >