<% ballot="49370" ' Check nothing is broken broken = 0 if ballot = "" then broken = 1 end if set vt = Server.Createobject("mps.Vote") openresult = vt.Open("Vote", "sa", "") ' Created object? if IsObject(vt) = TRUE then ' Opened db? if openresult = True AND broken = 0 then ballotresult = vt.SetBallotName(ballot) ' read the vote votetotal=(vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "yes")+vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "no")) if votetotal <> 0 then ' there are votes in the database numberyes = vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "yes") numberno = vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "no") percentyes = Int((numberyes/votetotal)*100) percentno = 100 - percentyes ' fix graph so funny graph heights dont appear 'if percentyes = 0 then ' percentyes = 1 'end if 'if percentno = 0 then ' percentno = 1 'end if else ' summut went wrong frig it numberyes = 0 numberno = 0 percentyes = 50 percentno = 50 end if end if end if %> Votes so far:

100% 0%			>		>
			Yes: <% =percentyes %>%		No: <% =percentno %>%

I don't trust a calculator unless I have done the sum in my head as well. It's comfirmation of the answer, and with more complicated numbers I estimate the answer in my head, and the calculator does the exact work. You shouldn't rely on a computer, or your brain will go soft.
Bob Eggington, Richmond, Surrey

This "Talking Point" relates to another of today's stories, "Pioneering new maths scheme could go nationwide". In the early 90's, some people suggested that schools spent too much time on mental arithmetic. After all, they said, what's the point of it, when calculators are cheap and abundant? As your story shows, that idea was simply double-plus-ungood. Students stopped learning math.
Now, as home computers become standard there's a rush to suggest that spelling, also, is a useless skill. The English language may be inconsistent, but that's an inexpensive price for such an expansive vocabulary. Our language has a rich and varied history. With a little effort (reading the dictionary, perhaps) students can learn the wheres and whys of our wonderful words. Education is not training. It does not have to be useful or practical.
(Editor, please correct any spelling mistakes I may have made!)
John Evans, USA

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