Wozniak Urges Geeks to Vote for Him on 'Dancing'

Computerworld — Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak has called on fellow geeks to vote, and vote often, next week when he again takes the floor on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, according to a message he posted on Facebook.

"With enough Internet organization, we can win the whole thing and speak for a type of person who isn't well respected in this world of beautiful people getting all the attention and respect," Wozniak, one of 11 remaining celebrities on the show, said in the Facebook post.

"When you vote 36 times for us, it means more than anything to me," Wozniak continued, referring to the 12-vote limit for text, phone and online voting. "But if you can convince 20 people to vote 36 times for us, that's what will take us over the top."

Wozniak, who is paired with professional dancer Karina Smirnoff, has received some of the lowest scores from the three judges in more than three years. On Monday, when Wozniak and Smirnoff danced a samba, the judges gave the couple only 10 points out of a possible 30.

"I just hope that the viewers enjoyed it as an entertainment, because for me it was consistent," said Len Goodman, one of the two judges who awarded just three points to Wozniak. "It was terrible from start to finish."

Unlike last week, however, Wozniak and Smirnoff were spared from their second consecutive "dance off" Tuesday night. The two couples with the lowest scores are asked to dance one final time on the results show, with the judges' new scores added to the mix.

In Thursday's Facebook message, Wozniak was optimistic that next week's scores would be higher. "Karina and I are working hard to earn 8's and 9's from the judges," he said. "This time we don't want it to be our total score. The dance Karina worked out is so amazing that we actually have a chance of this."

But Wozniak is trying to cover all bases with his call for fan votes, which are factored into the judges' marks to create a combined score. "Let's not become forgotten by getting complacent and giving up watching and voting on Monday nights," Wozniak said. "Let's keep this train rolling. Let's blaze new trails. Let's laugh and smile with each other."

According to another message on Wozniak's Facebook page, the number of votes allowed per person per device will be reduced to 10 next week, making it possible for one person to cast a maximum number of 30 votes: 10 via texting, 10 online and 10 by phone.

Wozniak will dance next Monday, March 30, when the show airs at 8 p.m. Eastern. The following night, two couples will be eliminated from the competition.

Article reprinted with permission from Computerworld.