Interesting People mailing list archives
more on Iraq war poll[ I endorse the "idiotic"nature of open online and telephone polls -- djf
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Thu, 06 Mar 2003 16:49:06 -0500
------ Forwarded Message From: Jim Warren <jwarren () well com> Date: Thu, 06 Mar 2003 13:04:56 -0800 To: dave () farber net Subject: Re: [IP] more on Iraq war poll[ I endorse the "idiotic"nature of open online and telephone polls -- djf [ I endorse the "idiotic"nature of open online and telephone polls -- djf Dave ... Please understand: I am certainly NOT -- *NOT*! -- suggesting that such so-called ["unscientific"] "polling" should be "prohibited" or in any way blocked or censored by law. { I NEVER SAID OR SUGGESTED THAT. ONE SHOULD JUST NOT BELIEVE THEM DJF} My complaint is about: (1) Such "polls" by otherwise-"reputable"(?) media organizations that are prominently reported to the public -- e.g. in prime-time news shows -- but with only the most subtle of verbal-only incidental disclaimers about their [complete!] lack of statistical validity ... that have NO controls at all for attempting to have a valid sample-space, nor against numerous votes being case by the same person. I.e., "polls" that are completely MEANINGLESS, and wildly-open to rampant "vote fraud". The problem I see with such "polls" reported in the mainstream media is that they give the MISimpression that they have any slightest validity. (2) Such polls being conducted by legislators using tax-funded staff and facilities -- without any controls at all re multiple voting by advocates, much less any attempt at seeking statistical valid information. At a minimum, it's useless and surely misleading. In the worst case, net-naive legislators might actually BELIEVE any of those "results". THAT is DANGEROUS! However, if children of all ages want to do play-like polling in this naive, invalid, misleading way ... more power to 'em. Let's just not report the results or use them, for any SERIOUS purpose, as though they had any MEANING. Or so I see it. --jim ------ End of Forwarded Message ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
Current thread:
- more on Iraq war poll[ I endorse the "idiotic"nature of open online and telephone polls -- djf Dave Farber (Mar 06)