Start delayed - serious things have happened

[Rik Meleet]

Dear all.

I am sorry to inform you that the start of the Civ 4 Demogame will have to be delayed. The reason is an election fraud. Most of you have seen Thunderfall's announcement on the changed outcome of elections. Since that announcement more shocking evidence has been found.

We are waiting for the response of 1 or more member(s) who we have asked questions to. We have used both PM and email, but no response back has been received, so far. Since it is of the utmost importance to have those answers, we are forced to delay the start till then.

If we haven't received an answer from the person(s) by Saturday morning 00:00 (0 am) GMT (roughly 73 hours from now) we will consider the person to have fled from the situation (s)he created and take matters into our own hands to start the cleanup procedures. As a good Democracy; your help will be asked in that as decisions will have to be taken.

When we have the answers we need or the 73 hours have passed (whichever comes first) we will present you with an awkward choice. Chieftess and I want your involvement on how to continue.

But let's not run ahead of ourselves. Now is the time to wait for the person(s) to answer our questions.

I am sorry I have to give you this bad news.

Regards
Rik Meleet
Moderator of the Demogames.

 

[Blkbird]

What a drama. I'm wondering how "shocking" the new evidences can be if they can be uncovered so quickly (which indicates a rather low-level, low-tech hack)...

 

[Sigma]

I don't want to speculate as to who was involved or what they did, but there is a pretty easy way of manipulating the results of a poll, a way which is also easily tracked. I did think it was odd that not only did the strange results involve a come-from-behind victory, but the winner only got enough votes to win (conveniently enough) by one.

Besides the implications involved for those in question, I guess it is a lesson to us all that no matter how small a democracy is, corruption and conspiracy can result. I'm sorry that this had to happen this way, and I hope that it doesn't tarnish the names of anyone who wasn't involved. Please, for the sake of everyone that is innocent, let the moderators handle this and do not point fingers or arouse suspicion.

I would like to thank the moderators for dealing swiftly with this issue, and implementing security measures so that it does not happen again.

 

[Chieftess]

Well said.

 

[Blkbird]

I would like to thank the moderators for dealing swiftly with this issue, and implementing security measures so that it does not happen again.

I agree with you that the mods seem to be handling this very well.

 

[UnitQ]

:shakehead :shakehead bad bad bad. Even in video games we cant have a streaght cleen election.

 

[RoboPig]

well, with election fraud we are now a true democracy

this is terrible though, not only does it destroy our values but also stopped the majestic new year creation from working out

When we have the answers we need or the 73 hours have passed (whichever comes first) we will present you with an awkward choice. Chieftess and I want your involvement on how to continue.

i dont like the sound of that......what kinda questions do you want

EDIT: WIll we ever know who the person is?

 

[Aythanaeus]

Good Luck in your investigations and if I can help in anyway I would be very glad to help... although I profess I have no idea how many elections may be a little odd.

 

[Chieftess]

well, with election fraud we are now a true democracy

Actually, it's very much against the forum rules, not something to be happy about.

 

[Blkbird]

well, with election fraud we are now a true democracy

Actually, election fraud happens anywhere as long as there is election at all - it's totally indepedent from the political system, because by definition, "fraud" isn't a part of any such system. Democracy doesn't prevent fraud, but it certainly doesn't promote fraud, either. Putting election fraud as a hallmark of democracy doesn't make much sense.

 

[RoboPig]

Actually, it's very much against the forum rules, not something to be happy about.

i know it was a joke. what was the question that you and rik want to ask us?

 

[Stilgar08]

I'd like to thank Rik for pointing out that I had nothin to do with this election fraud.

I cannot deny that this is devastating News to me ...
Moderator Action: Please watch your language what a day!

I will abstain from offices for a while... I don't know if you can understand but that's pretty demotivating to me...
I was entering the forums tonight to get some "work" done... Well, obviously it is done already...

Nevertheless I'd like to thank my TRUE supporters...

Feeling bad...

Stilgar08

P.S.: I'd like to see the correct poll-result!
Furthermore I assume that the identity of the fraud won't get announced? I'd like to know... Since I see myself as the victim most affected maybe a mod could let me know via p.m.?? Just a thought...
If not, then not...

P.P.S.: Don't worry: Last double-post concerning this!

 

[koondrad]

(which indicates a rather low-level, low-tech hack)...

Nah, there's no need to hack. At the time when the elections happened, anyone could vote. It was probably multiple accounts or someone in school/college asking their mates to vote for them on the LAN. Hopefully, the system with the usergroup will help prevent fraud, although there could be some problems with it.

 

[Blkbird]

Nah, there's no need to hack. At the time when the elections happened, anyone could vote. It was probably multiple accounts or someone in school/college asking their mates to vote for them on the LAN. Hopefully, the system with the usergroup will help prevent fraud, although there could be some problems with it.

The word "hack" (as it's used by *real* hackers) is a general term and doesn't only mean intrusion into a computer network. Any kind of exploit is a hack.

 

[Bengeance]

So I take it that this weekend or possibly earlier we will be asked to vote on some kind of disciplinary action for people deemed to be involved? Will we then be able to attempt the beginning of the Democrazy game? I've not posted much in the past on these forums but I would like to offer my help with any aspect of the Democrazy game where someone thinks I could be useful. I'm a long time player of Civ and a big fan of what you guys are doing around here.

Long live the Democracy!

 

[BCLG100]

Disciplinary action may well consist of a perma ban for multiple accounts, if that is what the offence was, in which case the demogame citizens will not decide the punishment but TF with the mods.

 

[koondrad]

Tk. Any kind of exploit is a hack.

I'd rather not start an argument, or a even a lively discussion because we have somewhat conflicting personalities.

What I'm saying is that it wasn't even necessarily an exploit, more of an oversight with the method of election.

 

[Blkbird]

Three and a half hours left towards the deadline. I'm getting pretty excited.

 

[ravensfire]

Three and a half hours left towards the deadline. I'm getting pretty excited.

You know, I'm not. Unpleasant things have happened in the past for the DG, including one that nearly tore it apart. This is, well, it was disheartening to see. A major part of the DG is the elections, and the debates that can happen (Thanks, DZ, for a great one a few months ago!).

There's a certain pattern to most elections, and the stuff that went on here I've not seen before. I'm sorry for all that are affected by it, but mostly that we now have to have more controls in place to prevent it from happening again.

-- Ravensfire

 

[Chieftess]

Well, an announcement will be made in a few hours. I think that 'excitement' might fade once you here what the report is.