Insomnia in Text Form ([info]lanhell) wrote,
2003-12-19 00:58:00

Public Apology

I am writing this to claim responsibility for writing a program that has caused a lot of controversy and anger between voters of "American Family Association"'s Online Marriage Poll.

On Dec. 12 of 2003, I wrote a small program that generated about 2700 false votes for the "pro-homosexual marriage" option of their web poll. I truly did not understand the repercussions that my program would have, and I am very deeply sorry for the trouble I have caused to AFA, to the GLBT community, and their respective supporters. I simply felt that a biased online poll on a website of Christian Fundamentalists that was to be sent to Congress as a representation of all America should at least have a voice from those who did not agree with them. Fraudulently posting votes was not the right way to do this, and once again I apologize.

At the time I wrote the program, there were about 82.4k votes against gay marriage or civil unions, 4k opting for legalization, and 2.1k for civil unions. It is my personal opinion that governments, and religious groups, should not interfere with consenting adults, no matter their personal opinion.



More detailed information may be found at: http://griffs-grumbles.blogspot.com

Edit: Screenshot posted by request.

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  • 69 comments

[info]overider

December 19 2003, 13:18:44 UTC 8 years ago

it takes courage to overcome cowardice. thank you for your courage.
(pro homosexual marriage is leading by 0.45% right now, by the way :D)

[info]lanhell

December 20 2003, 04:57:10 UTC 8 years ago

Thank you for the support.

It took [info]griffen about a half hour of reasoning to convince me that slinking out of existence was not the best plan of action. From all of the understanding support I'm getting, I see that he was right.

[info]michaelnolan

December 19 2003, 14:50:08 UTC 8 years ago

Any lack of respect I'd have had for what you did is washed away by your honesty and humility.

[info]lanhell

December 20 2003, 05:12:37 UTC 8 years ago

(I'm not entirely sure how to respond, so please excuse me if I sound a little bland.)

I knew even as the idea popped into my head before I started writing the program that this was probably not the best way to go and help the situation, but I continued anyway. Everyone is an idiot from time to time. Apparently this time was mine.

Actually, the idea came as more of a "I wonder if anyone is already doing this?" then more of a "I wonder if I could write something that could do that"
It was half an experiment in fun programming, just to see if I could figure out how to do it. I had also planned on releasing the source code to the program when the poll had either finished, or been removed. I'm unsure if I still will.

[info]michaelnolan

8 years ago

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[info]justgoto

December 21 2003, 06:08:10 UTC 8 years ago

Public Apology

Since you already skewed the results, (which makes the poll invalid,) why not help the site to thwart this kind of attack for the next poll?

Now that would be honorable!

[info]lanhell

December 21 2003, 20:38:55 UTC 8 years ago

Re: Public Apology

[...] why not help the site to thwart this kind of attack for the next poll?
Now that would be honorable!

As I mentioned in some other posts, I plan on releasing the source code to the program when this poll ends. (Assuming it ends sometime in the near future.) Should someone from AFA decide to download and analise my code, they'll see exactly how my program managed to auto-vote, and they'll also see that their recent "fix" of requiring a valid domain in the e-mail address (as opposed to the random characters my program generated) would be rather useless had I continued using the program.

[info]kitsunekaboom

December 21 2003, 06:32:46 UTC 8 years ago

Not that this poll was completely honest and unbiased anyway. Your honesty is impressive.

[info]mlfoley

December 21 2003, 07:47:36 UTC 8 years ago

My personal opinion is this (hi, I stumbled in from a friend's link!)

These people want to deny American citizens their rights, spread scientifically unproven information about homosexuality and pass it off as "The Whole Truth!" and basically dictate everyone's morals. The least we can do for them is this. They deserve it and so much more.

[info]magdalene74

December 21 2003, 17:29:13 UTC 8 years ago

The least you can do..... Hmm and they wonder why we dont want liberals in office, when their idea of "Justice" is lying, cheating, and stealing. Lovely.
Marie

[info]mlfoley

8 years ago

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[info]mlfoley

8 years ago

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[info]shakennotstired

8 years ago

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[info]mlfoley

8 years ago

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[info]schuywriter

8 years ago

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[info]mlfoley

8 years ago

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[info]schuywriter

8 years ago

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[info]mlfoley

8 years ago

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[info]schuywriter

8 years ago

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[info]mlfoley

8 years ago

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[info]midnightmadness

8 years ago

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[info]conservative67

8 years ago

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[info]madamerosie

8 years ago

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[info]shakennotstired

8 years ago

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[info]madamerosie

8 years ago

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[info]athena2693

December 21 2003, 08:15:15 UTC 8 years ago

I would've done the same thing. If I could even figure out simple html code.

Will you be my hero?

Anonymous

December 21 2003, 09:30:08 UTC 8 years ago

Does it help to know, from a total stranger, that I think I understand the anger that prompted you to do this, that I accept your apology as a member of the LGBTI community, and that I forgive you?

~ J.Lieuwe Caritas

[info]lanhell

December 21 2003, 21:26:38 UTC 8 years ago

Considering that I seemed to have simultaneously pissed off, and thrilled quite a few total strangers, yes.
Thank you.

[info]parables

December 21 2003, 09:42:50 UTC 8 years ago

Hi, I surfed my way here following leads on this story, which I've been pretty much obsessed with since I heard about it. I just thought I'd let you know that you probably weren't the only person to try to stuff the ballot in this way. Your fradulent votes were removed, but thousands of others ones have been as well. I did some data analysis and I've found some unusual peaks where the number of votes submitted in a five-minute period went far outside of the norm. This would seem to indicate hacking or ballot-stuffing such as what you did. You can find the graphs here:

http://www.geocities.com/mannuelbuzby/poll.html

And hey, all's forgiven. Thank you for coming forward and doing the right thing. In the end the outcry over this situation helped bring more people (from both sides) to the polls and the huge outpouring of support for gay marriage has now put us firmly in the lead.

[info]schuywriter

December 22 2003, 17:12:51 UTC 8 years ago

There is a great support for homosexual marriage but I would not say that you are "in the lead" on a national level. A poll is just a poll. Not everyone is aware of it, not everyone votes. What about those people who don'thave computers? I just don't think we can base any issues on simple polls. Information is sent to active groups, and the inactive or uninformed have no say. There really isn't any "leader" in this but I suppose it makes you feel better to see a number that favors your opinion of what life should be like for everyone. It's an inaccurate number, of course.

[info]oldnavy_rl_gap

December 21 2003, 11:26:50 UTC 8 years ago

Apology wasn't neccessary

http://www.livejournal.com/users/oldnavy_rl_gap

gimme the program :-P

[info]lanhell

December 21 2003, 19:13:20 UTC 8 years ago

Re: Apology wasn't neccessary

I'll most likely be releasing the whole source code once the poll completes.

[info]oldnavy_rl_gap

8 years ago

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[info]oldnavy_rl_gap

December 21 2003, 11:27:26 UTC 8 years ago

Retract your apology :)

[info]oldnavy_rl_gap

December 21 2003, 11:28:07 UTC 8 years ago

The AFA is the KKK. Plain and simple.

[info]xaoswolf

December 22 2003, 21:55:55 UTC 8 years ago

and you are a fucktard, plain and simple...

[info]xlivingoutloudx

December 21 2003, 15:53:43 UTC 8 years ago

I thank you for your honesty! :-)

[info]jaytee3

December 21 2003, 16:37:32 UTC 8 years ago

It's only natural to want to even the odds....I'm sure many people wanted to do the same thing.

[info]j_la

December 21 2003, 17:51:34 UTC 8 years ago

they made it unfair as well.

[info]dave

December 21 2003, 20:29:31 UTC 8 years ago

What, did you not code the PHP right on your site to make it not use results from the same IP Address. I could've coded a Winscock HTTP URL POST program, and I could've done the same shit. Use your brain.

[info]lanhell

December 21 2003, 21:16:53 UTC 8 years ago

What, did you not code the PHP right on your site to make it not use results from the same IP Address.

The program was written in VB6 (SP5), and sent keystrokes to an IE window. Their poll determines one voter from another by the e-mail address sent, not by IP address, as that would mean proxy'd users (Such as AOL users) would not be able to vote past the first person from that proxy to vote.


and I could've done the same shit.

Good for you. I'm quite proud of you... no, really, I am. ... Really...

[info]oldnavy_rl_gap

December 22 2003, 02:08:03 UTC 8 years ago

can I please have the source code???

[info]lanhell

December 22 2003, 03:19:56 UTC 8 years ago

Yes.
But later, chill.

[info]oldnavy_rl_gap

8 years ago

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Anonymous

8 years ago

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[info]oldnavy_rl_gap

8 years ago

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[info]madamerosie

December 22 2003, 02:43:03 UTC 8 years ago

2 cents.

On a conservative website, to be given to congress?

You are completely forgiven. Anyone would want to even the odds, or make it not look quite such a landslide.

I cannot code, but I'd have done the same thing if I could, or just vote like 20 times by hand.

You did what you could to try and help out America and Congress. I'm with one of the people up there. Will you be my hero?

[info]lanhell

December 22 2003, 03:23:36 UTC 8 years ago

Re: 2 cents.

I'm with one of the people up there. Will you be my hero?
Umm... *blush*

[info]rar_ara

December 22 2003, 04:01:25 UTC 8 years ago

.. though I cannot call what you did necessary, I want to thank you for taking action for a cause you believe in. Pro-homosexual marriage is now leading by a very wide margin (56% vs. 36%), largely, I believe, thanks to you taking the move.

Thanks.

[info]felicks

December 22 2003, 04:31:20 UTC 8 years ago

I say more power to you. I think it's great what you did. Their survey is completely unscientific anyway.

[info]waenweth

December 22 2003, 10:25:53 UTC 8 years ago

Despite the fact that 2 wrongs don't make a right... I think the reason behind your desire to even the odds was quite noble. I know damn well that I don't want Fundamentalist Christians speaking for me when it comes to legalizing homosexual marriage.

Your ability to come forth after this and be honest makes you, I think, an even better human being than most people could ever be.

Hopefully, honesty can sway the polls enough. *nods*

[info]schuywriter

December 22 2003, 17:14:44 UTC 8 years ago

I don't want Godless immoral liberals deciding how I should live, either.

Really the best thing is to divide the earth and let us live the way we want, apart from each other's agendas.

Anonymous

December 22 2003, 15:51:13 UTC 8 years ago

I can hardly believe what you all are saying. It's underhanded methods like this that make these polls so worthless to begin with. Soo, people who belong to religious groups decide to all vote a certain way? Who doesn't belong to one group or another! What, did you think that just because it was posted on a conservative website that liberals wouldn't get to it and respond? That's what the internet is all about! While your apology does take courage, it doesn't undo the damage you've done. By casting your own votes on this topic, you're undermining the very freedom you say you hope to propogate for America. You want liberals to get equal representation? Post the poll on various message boards and let real people decide for themselves.

Anonymous

December 22 2003, 16:11:53 UTC 8 years ago

God Bless.

[info]lanhell

8 years ago

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[info]schuywriter

December 22 2003, 17:09:14 UTC 8 years ago

Obviously generating false votes is lying. Lying to push your own agenda. It's your interpretation of things -- this or that person should not have the right to say what you don't want them to, so you will take steps to prevent their expression.

Is this not what liberals say they are fighting against?

To see any Liberal here saying you should not apologise or should have done this deed with no remorse is utterly chilling. Have we forsaken basic respect and honor simply to force our own beliefs on others?

Many Christians don't believe in homosexual marriage. That's a fact. Many do. You have no right whatsoever to try to silence them. Just as you want your voice heard, you must allow others to have their say.

Any liberal who thinks what you did was OK is a hypocrite at best and a facist at worst. And to heap praise on your for apologizing is ludicrous, making you into aSaint for acknowledging your wrong? Is it so bad these days that when liberals realize they've made a mistake they deserve a parade?

I'm glad you were at least honest, but it is no more or less than I expect from any human being worth his salt.

I would not want anyone of any party to sway the results of a poll. I think we can take into account that some people will vote a few times, but not go to the lengths that you did. You certainly used your knowledge of programming for evil purposes. One day your own programming may be used to silence YOUR vote.

[info]xaoswolf

December 22 2003, 21:59:47 UTC 8 years ago

Obviously generating false votes is lying. Lying to push your own agenda. It's your interpretation of things -- this or that person should not have the right to say what you don't want them to, so you will take steps to prevent their expression.

Is this not what liberals say they are fighting against?

Yes, but liberals are somehow immune to hippocracy

To see any Liberal here saying you should not apologise or should have done this deed with no remorse is utterly chilling. Have we forsaken basic respect and honor simply to force our own beliefs on others?

Yes, indeed, they have...

[info]lanhell

8 years ago

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[info]ronin75

8 years ago

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[info]kinkygiggles

December 29 2003, 22:50:34 UTC 8 years ago

It is things like this that make me sad to be associated with people like you. I hate when they say liberals do this, or conservatives do that. Graft and corruption know no political distinction. I am a homosexual, with liberal leanings, but I always base my descisions on logic. For those of you who would mess up a poll like this, or block Rev. Phelps from putting his monument up, think about the hypocrisy that is abundant. Democracy is tyranny of the majority, and the Constitution of the United States of America was created to prevent such things. That's all I have to say.

[info]king_amygdala

December 30 2003, 09:03:28 UTC 8 years ago

Hey, you appear to be a little famous now.

I just wanted to say, I don't think there's anything wrong with fucking up a bogus poll. At the very least you have pointed out how easy it is to fuck with an online poll, at the very best, you've opened a few eyes to the fact that many of us feel underrepresented in this 'republic' that seems to be so victimized by loud special interests, and most probably you've obfuscated something that would have eventually, if left to the shadows of this minority cause, its members, and their friends, made it to congress as a quotable statistic.

As it stands, they can't use the results of their poll to prove anything except that these kinds of polls are useless. So, thanks.

[info]lanhell

December 30 2003, 17:04:30 UTC 8 years ago

Hey, you appear to be a little famous now.
Very little as far as I know, but its still rather euphoric.

I would come up with a longer, more interesting post, but I just woke up not long ago. You'll have to forgive me.

[info]demonicanevil

January 4 2004, 22:45:16 UTC 8 years ago

::applause:: Not only do I think that your appology is unnessisary, I think your actions are admirable to say the least.

Let's face it, the wack jobs on the Christian forum would have tried to make us all pay for their religion, which is absolutely bogus!

Eventually I'm going to want to marry the woman that I'm in love with. I'm going to want to have a baby (via the turkey baster method) and I want to be able to prance into my 10 year highschool reunion pregnant out-to-here and grin saying "This is my wife everybody! Isn't she beautiful?"

It's not fair that their religion limits my actions.

Good deal and don't appologise for swaying the vote to a tolerant view.

[info]lanhell

January 7 2004, 02:55:37 UTC 8 years ago

Sorry for the delay in a reply.

It's not fair that their religion limits my actions.
I agree completely. I myself lean twards the idea that if your not hurting or cheating anyone, the government should stay out of things. Its written in the founding documents of this country that there is a "separation of church and state" but I see that in limited quantities, if at all..

and don't appologise for swaying the vote to a tolerant view.
It would have been fine if I had legitimately swayed the vote. The thing is that if I hadn't done this and created such a drama (which was unintended), far fewer would have come and seen the poll for what it was, and posted the legitimate votes in their own stance.

[info]demonicanevil

8 years ago

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[info]lanhell

8 years ago

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[info]demonicanevil

8 years ago

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[info]lanhell

8 years ago

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