Uh-Yeah...

Reading about the computer mess in Tennessee shows why computer generated numbers can not be a reliable source of random numbers. Now, before I get into all of the conclusions, questions and possible lead in to a full blown investigation, we need to step back and look at this a little more carefully; understand what has happen in a way that gives rise to level of perception that was not present before this took place.

I see many incorrect perceptions being thrown out into the public to distract attention from a different view. A view that if pondered upon a bit can kind of make you say, "Oh yeah! You could be right." One of the misperceptions is that this was a 'computer error' or a 'programming error' as if these things seemingly happen unbeknownst to the lottery officials and their constituent underlings. Wrong, 'computer errors' and 'programming errors' don't just happen by themselves, they are a direct result of 'human action'. An action that placed code in the computer by someone for a specific reason. That reason is to place some kind of control on the outcome of what numbers will be produced. However, a control on random numbers is something of a contradiction in terms. Truly random numbers are uncontrolled; yet there in the software of the beast is this control. A paradox arises from something so simple. If your objective is to have randomness, then there should be no restriction on the outcome. The only thing that could be done is to test the experiment to see if it is indeed random, not restrict it. This test for randomness comes after the numbers have been chosen, not during it's inception. Now the questions of investigation, 'Why was this code there?', 'Who stood to benefit from the code being there?', 'Why did the test for randomness fail?', 'Are the tests for randomness reliable?', 'Were the test of randomness deliberately over looked to get a product out into the market that was knowingly faulty?'... it could go on, but that's a job for the investigation team.

Here's the simple fact, computer don't just do things with out some kind of 'human action' to cause it. Computers do whatever we make them do regardless of the end resulting action produced by the computer. These are not mysterious entities capable of sentient thought and capable of making changes that seem to come from nowhere. Someone had to place that code on the computer for a reason.

This leads to something more putrid though. If this one little control exists, there might be more. There might be code to reduce the number of wins in a way that gives the appearance of randomness, yet there really isn't. It's not beyond the realm of possibility. This is why this one issue needs to be expanded beyond the scope of not only Tennessee and the code problem. This needs attention on a Nation wide basis for all computer generated numbers that goes far above just a simple 'programming glitch'.

There is only one glitch in the lottery industry today, computer generated numbers. Get rid of that and you've fix the glitch.