Letters

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GillianTett’s column (“A vote for online elections”, June 11/12) expresses her enthusiasm for the idea of internet voting. However, considering that the FT has itself reported that the tools for cyber hacking are accessible to individuals, private groups and states, it seems unwise to open up voting to these kinds of attacks. Elections cannot be repaired after the fact. Online voting increases risk enormously, without providing any benefits. Even if online security were good, there would still be the danger of people being coerced as they vote. But time and again when voting technology is examined, the security is inept. No computer system has yet been created that can provide the same security and privacy as the paper ballot.

Rakerman

Via FT.com

What’s important is who is counting the votes, not how people vote.

StinaAndersson

Via FT.com

It’s not technology that is preventing online voting, it’s lack of political will and fear of enfranchising those who typically abstain and who, given this tool, might swing the vote in unpredictable ways. One technical way of making remote voting secure is voting servers, with one in each polling station set up on the day. They tally the votes and print hard copies upon each voting event for verification. Only a person registered with this station could vote and the system would have secondary verification by text.

MaxSense

Via FT.com

Tim Harford noted in his column (“The dubious power of power poses”, June 11/12) that while “statistical significance” sounds scientific, “it’s hardly a cast-iron endorsement of a result”. Another major problem in academic research is the publication review system. Only three people (limited by time, and conflicts of interest, as they are in the same research area) decide whether papers should be published. This is an ancient system and there have been no efforts to improve it.Yet the academics sometimes influence policies and lives.

Zeena

Via FT.com

ReTim Harford’s column: since this is psychology we are talking about, could it be that human beings, being rational, have factored the original study into their thinking and are no longer affected by power poses!?

Peace_

Via FT.com

Jancis Robinson writes that rosé wine has “definitively come out of the closet marked unfashionable” (“Think pink”, June 11/12).The thing about rosés is that they look so lovely and appealing in the glass too. I have always been fond of them. But I am also a great fan of Manzanilla as a summer aperitif, which makes me a bit oldfashioned. I have never understood why these wines are undervalued.

FTreaderMC

Via FT.com

june 11/12 2016

SUMMER LUXURIES

Honey&Co's fruit puddings Artists' food fancies In search of the real Champagne Sam Clark'slobster rice with sherry Jancis Robinson's food-friendly rosés

Re your summer berry recipes by Honey & Co (June 11/12): where is this summer of which you speak?

DomAtreides

Via Facebook

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