Let's call this asshole at work and give them a taste of their own medicine.
NYT Article: https://archive.is/CQUvH His "publication": https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hast.1113
His workplace: UPenn Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy Media & Press Inquiries: 215-349-5964 Phone: 215-898-7136
It might be technically true. Most computers don't have modems because these days they are really only used for Fax/Voice services and other specialized services.
Most computers DO have network cards/Ethernet interfaces.
It would actually make a little more sense for election machines to use modems - the amount of data to be transferred is small, the machines could connect in a much more secure point-to-point manner allowing for fast transmission of results while limiting exposure. The connections could be encrypted with a one time pad which is about as bulletproof as encryption gets.
It would be a hell of a lot better than just plugging them into random internet connected networks. But even with modems it would only take one of those machines getting compromised, and one common vulnerability across the machines and you are back where we started.
So fuck that. I work in IT security. High security. And the more I see, the more the only thing I want counting ballots are triple redundant homo sapiens.
I don't know about this video - he bases it off of a book written by the newspaper editor targeted by Heemeyer. The author/editor (Patrick Brower) obviously has a persecution complex if you read this article where he complains about "paranoia about government" and "right wing bloggers" on Breitbart.
Here's a quote from a guy who's "historical account" I wouldn't trust:
I can only hope that this anti-media and anti-governmental trend in our country fades away as a mere fad reflective of our overly partisan times guided by false narratives and outlandish conspiracy theories.
Newspapers are attacked because they generally do a good job of communicating the truth. And sadly, the truth itself, these days, is under attack.
I am sure there is more to the story, but I would take it with a massive planetoid-sized salt grain as told by this guy. Even more so considering he is getting rich (or attempting to) from said book.
EDIT: Wow, this guy is a serious piece of work.
“Trump’s and Bannon’s attacks on existing law enforcement arms of the government feed the notion that somehow our established structures of enforcement are corrupt and inept,” Brower said.
“The suggestion by Trump and Bannon, whispered, in fact, that there’s this ‘dark administrative state’ that really runs the government and that it needs to be defeated is nothing more than conspiracy mongering in a way the feeds the anti-government and anti-hero beast,” Brower said. “In this narrative, the destroyers of government become the heroes. Sadly, I feel many buy into this line of reasoning.”
This guy's book about Killdozer is very probably biased and would not be surprised if he omitted or manipulated facts about the story. He claims:
Town officials may have been a bit clumsy, making some administrative errors along the way, but Brower vehemently argues there was no old-guard establishment out to get an outsider.
I totally believe the newspaper editor and town officials were totally "clumsy" and just going 'whoopsie!' left and right - there's no bias here, no old guard, you are just all conspiracy theorists guys. Heemeyer was completely and totally crazy guy who pooped in a bucket. He was ompletely unreasonable from the beginning, nothing prompted this at all! He just snapped because honorable journalists told the TRUTH!
I could be completely wrong. But something about Patrick Brower stinks. I would enjoy reading the original newspaper coverage.
Chelsea's dad is Webb Hubbell.
The address mentioned on the scanner is an apartment complex. This is a routine EMS call.
Boooring. Sorry.