[governance] Issues concerning standing IGC members

[Carlos Afonso]

Amazing... OK, let us be logical, like the numerical analysys textbooks.

Someone please tell CPSR (I understand Katz is talking in their name) 
that people have not enrolled using completely verified identities of 
real people, like banks do when issuing us a credit card or certifying 
companies do when issuing us an e-certificate. All we have to identify 
the people on this list is an email associated with the name the email 
holder has given us. There is no documentary evidence on record even to 
prove the name is the real name of the real person reading that email. 
This is the universe of ID information we are dealing with and against 
which we have to proceed with authentication.

I understand computer professionals should be able to understand basic 
theory which says a logical construct is based on hypotheses, on 
"givens" which are set by common sense or arbitrarily etc. Our "given" 
is this: we have a list of names and uni-univocally associated emails. 
We do not know the associated person's address, we do not know ifjust 
one person uses a given email or several persons take turns to 
participate with the same email, or even if the person represents what 
s/he says s/he represents. All we have as formal "given" is that a pair 
(email,name) posts messages in an electronic list (by the way, running 
*insecurely* by CPSR -- so much for coherence).

In this logical scenario, printing a paper confirming an email has 
arrived to a destination and sending it through the post office network 
is a trivial lemma...

It is really amazing: we (CPSR included) take for granted everything the 
pair (email,name) (the only identification info we formally have) writes 
in this insecure list, but it seems CPSR does not take for granted the 
message this pair sends to a secure e-voting system.

Shoddy logic...

--c.a.

Yehuda Katz wrote:
> On the contrary Rony,
> 
> I look at a 'verified-by-post' Membership, as strengthening this organization.
> Because its Populous has been verified.
> It is quintessential, because a valid Vote ... is a central key to democracy.
> 
> I am somewhat applauded at the opinion of my Countertarians.
> According to them, all that is required is an email-address, essentially.
> 
> To my way of thinking it creates a false-sense-of-security, 
> and for an organization that bills itself as "Computer Professionals for Social
> Responsibility" it makes the motto into a oxymoronic hypocrisy.
> 
> I only set-out to strengthen this organization,
> Be that as it may, the path is chosen by You.
> 
> So the question is:
> 
> What can be done to strengthen this Organization?
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