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Outrage of the month

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Illinois

Illinipundit is puzzled because his links to internal Illinois State Board of Elections pages aren’t working. He’s trying to link to campaign finance reports of individual candidates, but users are redirected to another site.

For some reason, Blogger is messing with the links, sending them to a very strange 404-not-found site. If you are taken to a strange site, please either refresh or copy the links and paste them into another browser window if you’re having problems. Thanks, and sorry for the trouble. I’m trying to figure out what the problem is, but I’m stumped.

It’s not Blogger’s fault. The ISBE is up to its old tricks again.

Years ago, my old website was set up to search ISBE pages. The Board quickly blocked the searches, but I raised a big stink and they lifted the blockade, but not before coming up with some totally lame excuses about why they shouldn’t have to do it.

I’ve noticed in the past several months that they’re doing it again.

I didn’t say anything because, well, because I really don’t know why. But this is ridiculous, and incredibly arrogant of the ISBE, especially in the blogging age when people use internal links all the time.

Blog owners and their readers who are upset about this should send the board’s webmaster an email, or pick up the phone and call the Board at (312)-814-6440 or (217)-782-4141. Ask the Board why it’s against the public’s right to know. Also, check this page and see if you know anyone on the House Elections Committee. If you do, contact that person and ask him or her to look into the matter.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 1, 05 @ 3:08 pm

Comments

Careful, Rich, don’t give the ITO any ideas. If a big enough stink is raised, next thing that’ll happen is some weird emergency email from CMS (or the ITO or whatever the official name is these days) ordering all state web staff to immediately tweak agency sites so that *all* links are redirected to the state homepage.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 1, 05 @ 3:56 pm
Thanks, Rich! I thought I was losing my mind….

Comment by IlliniPundit Tuesday, Feb 1, 05 @ 4:53 pm
Just because the ISBE is blocking links doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t losing your mind, old buddy.

Your Pal, Ralph.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 1, 05 @ 6:29 pm
Thanks, Ralphie. If you’re taking shots at me, then I’m reassured that I must not be crazy.

Comment by IlliniPundit Tuesday, Feb 1, 05 @ 7:14 pm
Thanks for the email and posting on this topic, Rich. I just put up a post on my own site after reading what you had to say. http://respublica.typepad.com

Comment by Diane Tuesday, Feb 1, 05 @ 9:30 pm
Rich - I ran into this last year, when I tried pointing to the filing that showed me running as a Dean delegate. (Details here. There’s a comment there from a friend of mine (here) that explains what they’re doing wrong; I assume that the culprit continues to be misconfiguration on their part…

Comment by Rick Klau Wednesday, Feb 2, 05 @ 10:35 am