Diebold Electronic Systems And Ilk, Form Flacking Group

Ed Felten asks Voting Machine Vendors To Do ... What?:

In today's Washington Post, Jonathan Krim reports on a new effort by the e-voting machine vendors to do ... something or other. The article, which is titled "Voting-Machine Makers to Fight Security Criticism", doesn't quite say what they're planning to do.

Ah, the wonders of the net, you can read the press release directly:
Companies Form Election Technology Council

ETC members will work together to raise the profile of electronic voting, identify and address security concerns with electronic voting, develop a code of ethics for companies in the electronic voting sector, and make recommendations in the areas of election system standards and certification.

Or, to translate:

Foxes will work together to raise the profile of farming, identify and address security concerns with farming, develop a code of ethics for predators in the farming sector, and make recommendations in the areas of henhouse standards and certification.

Clear?

Further:

You've really gotta wonder how a non-story like this got onto page 2 of a major newspaper.

Nope. It's the power of the press release. Just search Google News for others generated by that press release.

Seth Finkelstein's Infothought blog (Wikipedia, Google, censorware, and an inside view of net-politics) - Syndicate site (subscribe, RSS)