+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Links: family / facebook / twitter / linkedin / google / instagram / random | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | _______ | "The Borg assimilated my race and all I | | ,--'.:::::.`-._ | got was this lousy T-shirt" | | /..:::::::::::..\ | | | /..:::::::::_;::::| | | | || `---'----' _|:::| | | | || `;:::| | | | |' ==== ==== |-::| | | | |-( @ )-( @ )--|O):| | | | | ` | ` |/::' | | | . v |:/ jeremy@ | | | | ___, || malcolm | | | \ -- _/| .id.au | | | \_____.-'__/-.__ | | | _| _/|::.\.::-._ | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | [*] news [ ] about [ ] writing [ ] journal [ ] images [ ] guests | | +--- last 10 | | |->> archive | | `--- search | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +--| Publicly Verifiable Random Selection |-----------------------------------+ | | | Online organisations commonly need to form committees that are randomly | | drawn from a pool of volunteers. For example, the IETF's nominations | | committee has long been selected in this way. But the problem is, how can | | its members, who may live around the world, be sure that the draw was | | really random? Couldn't whoever drew the names out of a hat have fudged | | the results? | | | | The IETF's answer to this problem, as befitting its mandate, was a | | technical one: a software program and associated Internet standards | | document RFC 3797) that enables anyone to verify the true randomness of | | the selection. It works by taking the values from a pre-agreed source of | | randomness, such as upcoming national lottery results, to seed the draw so | | that it can be verified by anyone. | | | | The problem, until now, is that there is no downloadable version of this | | program - it has to be compiled from source, copied and pasted out of the | | RFC - and even when successfully compiled, requires access to the command | | line, which although simple for members of groups like the IETF, puts it | | beyond the capacity of less technologically clueful organisations. | | | | Hence my release of a downloadable version of the code with instructions | | and a Makefile to aid its compilation, together with an even easier Web | | interface for newbies, which I am hosting online for those who don't wish | | to compile the software themselves. | | | | Anyone can now visit this page to enter the size of the pool of nominees, | | the number to be selected, and the source of random numbers that has been | | pre-agreed, and the page will randomly select the successful candidates. | | Thanks to Reileen Dulay for working on the Web interface with me! We plan | | on improving the software further over the coming weeks. | | | +----------| posted 530 days ago via news | read more | reply (0 comments) |--+ | << Back | | page generated in 0.245 seconds sadlittlewebjournal 3.2.4 | | content (c) its respective creator(s) web administration | | valid html 4.01 transitional rss feed | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+