UBC AMS elections got hacked!

Someone figured out how to vote over 700 times in the recent University of British Columbia student union (AMS) elections (January 25 - 29). It's still being investigated, but Elections Administrator Isabel Ferreras presented a preliminary report to AMS Council on March 3.

I was involved because I helped the Elections Committee calculate the voter funded media (VFM) awards. We were running two VFM competitions simultaneously -- 1-time VFM and Continuous VFM -- see comparison table. 1-time VFM was on the AMS elections ballot, which required a UBC login to vote. Continuous VFM was on this votermedia.org page, where anyone could vote without logging in.

Surprisingly, it was the login-protected ballot that got hacked. That's why the Elections Committee didn't spot it, and why it took me 2 weeks to spot it -- no one expected such a thing. Now we're all older & wiser.

Check out the light-hearted coverage from AMS Confidential. UBC Spectator live-blogged the AMS Council meeting with Isabel's report:

UBC Continuous VFM Award Winners

This morning we calculated the last day's award allocation in the continuous voter funded media competition for the University of British Columbia's Alma Mater Society. Cumulative awards from January 4 through February 12 are:

1. UBC Insiders: $724
2. UBC Spectator: $665.50
3. AMS Confidential: $314
4. The Radical Beer Tribune: $207
5. Social Capital: $88.50
6. Geoff's Place: $1
(Total: $2,000)

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to all participating media and voters!

Voting will continue indefinitely, and if any individual or organization would like to fund this competition in future, we at VoterMedia.org will be happy to help administer it. We can manage the website ballot and award calculations. We can also manage payments, or a sponsor could pay the winners directly.

What do you think of continuous VFM so far? How could we improve it? Please comment here or on the ballot or email mark[at]votermedia.org.

Comments to FCC on the Future of Media

Four days ago, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission announced their request for comments on "the future of media and the information needs of communities in a digital age", along with 42 specific questions. I submitted my comments this morning, which are already linked on the FCC website page for "Proceeding 10-25". I've also posted these links at votermedia.org/publications.

Mainly I pitched the benefits of voter funded media, with the UBC Continuous VFM competition as an example.

Now is the best time to check out the UBC VFM ballot

The University of British Columbia Alma Mater Society's annual election vote is this week, January 25 - 29. So the voter funded media are in full swing, interviewing candidates, analyzing platforms and referendum questions, and making vote recommendations.

Now in our 4th year of UBC VFM implementations, we are running two competitions at once. Check out the Continuous VFM ballot!

$8000 UBC One-Time VFM entry form available

This year's University of British Columbia Alma Mater Society Voter Funded Media Administrator, Will Davis, has sent me the entry form to post at votermedia.org/ubc2010. You can enter now to compete for a piece of the $8000 award pool in the One-Time VFM competition -- go for it!

UBC Continuous VFM: Enter now for $2000 award pool

This competition will award $50 per day starting Monday January 4, for 40 days. There's no entry fee, just send me an email -- info at votermedia.org/ubc2010.

So far four blogs have entered: UBC Insiders, UBC Spectator, Radical Beer Tribune and Social Capital.

I've listed several other UBC blogs on the ballot. They will only be eligible for awards if & when they enter. But you can vote for them now, and your votes will be saved and counted if they enter. These include Geoffs Place, AMS Gossip Guy. Foxtrot UBC, Fair Vote UBC and UBC Student Media.

I hope to see some newly created blogs entering too!

BTW you can now see the latest post title & date from each blog.

2 VFMs launching at UBC

Two voter funded media competitions are launching at the University of British Columbia: Continuous-Time VFM and One-Time VFM -- see info at votermedia.org/ubc2010.

I'm administering the Continuous-Time VFM. Please email me if you'd like to enter: mark[at]votermedia.org.

Vote early and often at votermedia.org/communities/82-ubc-ams !