Obama Facebook poll developer comes forward

Updated 2.37pm PST with comments from the developer

The first step in discerning the source of the "Should Obama be Killed?" Facebook poll has been taken.

Jesse Farmer, of Bumbalabs in Palo Alto, Calif., has given permission for Facebook to reveal that he was the developer, but, significantly, not the author behind the poll that nauseated many Monday.

The poll, which was removed by Facebook when it was brought to the site's attention, offered those who wished to enjoy such an exercise four potential answers (see screen grab by The Huffington Post). More than 730 people participated before it was removed.

On Farmer's Twitter feed, Twitter.com/jessefarmer he describes himself as "Entrepreneur living in Palo Alto, Calif. I grew up in the Midwest and think everyone is awesome." Which will naturally be a relief to many.

(Credit: The Huffington Post)

On his site 20bits.com, which I am fairly sure stands for one more than 19 bits, rather than two obituaries, Farmer seems a genial and sociable type, saying: "If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, drop me a line and let's meet up!" He may be getting one or two requests.

Farmer describes himself as "a bit obsessed with data and using it to build better products and companies."

On his Twitter feed, he declares that he has already talked with the Secret Service, who he endearingly abbreviates to "SS." Farmer posted: "The conversation with the SS was fine. If the goal was to resolve the issue + inform the SS, the way it went down was suboptimal."

A reading of a rather fractious Twitter exchange with Bababoosh, an Oklahoma City programmer, suggests that Farmer was unhappy that a third party had informed the Secret Service rather than leaving him to do so.

Farmer accuses Bababoosh of assuming he had "the worst motives."

In an e-mail to Technically Incorrect, Farmer says he first saw the offending and offensive poll Monday morning.

"I have a system in place to flag potentially offensive polls that I check once per day; I checked it Monday morning, saw the poll, and deleted it," he said.

Which might make some wonder what other potentially risque polling might have slipped onto Facebook's pristine pages.

He says that he knows the Facebook identity of the poll's author and one presumes that this author might have received a social call from the Secret Service.

Farmer's own chat with the service he describes as lasting 15 minutes and being "friendly," although he won't comment on specifics.

Perhaps it might amuse some and appall others to discover that he is an Obama supporter.

He told me: "I went to school at the University of Chicago (SB Mathematics, '06), where he was my state senator. I volunteered for him in the primaries, worked with the California data team, and canvassed in N. Michigan during the general."

[jefarmer]

Chris, that's not true. You emailed me and I responded asking if you had any specific questions.

I'm happy to answer any you have.

[The_happy_switcher]

It didn't occur to you that this was just wrong?

[ChrisMatyszczyk]

Hey, Jesse,

It was true at time of writing...

Just emailed you.

Chris

[jaguar717]

I hope you've learned your lesson. Anything goes with Bush, especially if you'd like to blame him for any current or future failures.

But you do NOT question The Party or our Dear Leader. You are to silence all dissent, and apply for a government grant to produce artwork praising him, and sing your devotion to him in school.

[odubtaig]

After 8 years of any and all critics of Bush being shouted down (especially by everyone on Fox) as 'unpatriotic' and told to shut up or leave the country I have only this to say.

Shut the **** up Jag. You don't get to claim victim status here.

[ewsachse]

@jaguar717

Wow, it did not take long for you tin foil hat conservative trolls to crawl out from your sewers.

Advocating the assassination of any President, regardless of the person's party, race, gender, or etc, is just wrong.

You are FAIL.

[Kris Linna]

@ewsachse

So you agree that "Death of a President", a movie about assassinating George Bush, is wrong too, right?

It seems to me that going to the trouble of making a feature length film about assassinating a U.S. President is a little more questionable then spending 5 minutes to post a poll on Facebook.

Were you "FAIL"ing the liberals who weren't out and out denouncing this movie 3 years ago?

[odubtaig]

Kris, It think it's quite clear (with the kind of clarity you can only get from Dolby) that you've never seen Death of a President. It's a "what if someone assasinated the president?" film, not a threat by any stretch of the imagination to do yourself a favour.

Stop commenting on things you don't have a ******* clue about. [CNET editors' note: Personal attack deleted.]

[odubtaig]

Correction: that should have been "_so_ do yourself a favour".

[solitare_pax]

Remember kiddies - people who make cigarettes don't go around killing people - that's what the consumers of thos products do.

And the same rule pretty much applies to this problematic poll that popped up.

The question remains - what smart nut decided to bother posting it?

[Goodbye Helicopter]

yawn

[Pete Bardo]

Still feels like an FBI sting operation. SS indeed.

[reyjacobs]

This article is ***. What does this mean "Jesse Farmer, of Bumbalabs in Palo Alto, Calif., has given permission for Facebook to reveal that he was the DEVELOPER, but, significantly, NOT THE AUTHOR behind the poll that nauseated many Monday." Huh? What did he develop? A poll application that lets anyone make any poll they want? And the SS of Furor Obama is going to fry the guy for making a polling app even though he didn't write the poll in question? Sounds to me like both the reporter who wrote this article and the Obama administration are ***.

[Mikejh99]

"Sounds to me like both the reporter who wrote this article and the Obama administration are ***."



Well, you are definitely right about the "author".

[setgo]

@reyjacobs

Really!? You think President Obama is keeping track of some moron who is not smart enough to know where free speech ends?. So you think that in between his briefs on Iran, the economy and Afghanistan, he's asking about some Facebook poll. That's really stupid. I mean really, really stupid. You must have skipped Civics. lol

[odubtaig]

Rey's missing the ever so slight point that the developer still has complete freedom even though the 'SS' know exactly where he is. If they're frying him, they're going a funny way about it. As usual a rabid right winger is too busy foaming at the mouth to let anything so inconvenient as facts get in the way of his rant.

[esteven4]

Actually, the Secret Service has no problem with the developer, according to the article.

[KCFalcon59]

What were the results of those polled???

[BLSCPTS]

Looks like a few are missing the point of the story. I read it as Farmer developed the polling application but was not the author of the content of the Obama poll.

Is that correct Chris?

[ChrisMatyszczyk]

@BLSCPTS,

Already said he wasn't the author.

Please see update for quotes from the developer.

Chris

[Dastard77]

@jaguar717
I hope you're just trolling and are not really as stupid as you seem...

This article has nothing to do with dissent, it has to do with a threat on someones life which, since the last time I checked, is still illegal.

[gte861s]

#1. "I went to school at the University of Chicago (SB Mathematics, '06)..."
I think you meant BS? Bachelor of Science...
#2. Good article.