Over at PC Mag they have an article about how they believe American Idol is being hacked by users who are employing software to jam the system. This prevents honest people from voting for their favorite and also skews the results. We have all heard that it was alleged that the Idol results were manipulated by the producers to get better ratings, but this software adds a new wrinkle to the mix.

Over at PC Mag, they provide a listing of dialer software with the standard risk warnings. The article states:

FOX’s American Idol is “rigged.” At least, that’s what viewers and critics have been speculating over the years. Think about it. How else could previous contestants John Stevens, Mikalah Gordon, and Sanjaya Malakar have lasted as long as they did? But are the results rigged by the show’s producers or by tech-savvy voters?

As a result, overzealous fans as well as Idol-haters have invented their own ways to give their favorite (or loathed) contestants an advantage: by hacking the voting process. And with the stakes higher this season than ever before (someone has to make up for Hick’s failed career and the disaster that is William Hung), the final four — David Archuleta, Jason Castro, David Cook, and Syesha Mercado — need your votes.

Known as “phreaking” (or “phone freaking”), viewers can utilize speed-dialing software and hardware to skew the votes, not to mention tie up the lines so that other voters have a harder time getting through. There are several speed-dialing programs out there, both free and paid.

Should we be surprised that the results are being manipulated? Or is this how we have all come to accept cheating?

Comments welcome.

PC Mag article is here.