PBS has an article on poll crashing, which interviews yours truly and Greg Laden about our curious penchant for sending mobs out to vote on silly online polls. They also interview some of the recipients of the floods…and no one seems to mind.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
I’m not at all surprised they mind at all. Their traffic goes up and that appeals to their advertisers which makes them more money which is why they do these silly polls in the first place.
I should do one on my cooking blog. It could use the traffic too. It’s lonely out there. In cyberspace, no one can hear you whimper.
It’s still pretty useless, even if it somewhat counters the uselessness of online polls.
Well, no harm, and apparently many like it.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/2kxyc7
Umm, aren’t freepers rightwingers named after Free Republic trolls? I just thought we were poll crashers.
They should have had a poll about poll crashing on there.
You’ve got a food blog? Why the hell didn’t you say so!
I’ll go look. The Rev. is a foodie too.
Tee-hee, that almost sounds naughty. ;o)
One I have admittedly been neglecting for a year or so.
I’ve been meaning to add some….
They’ve only started report thing *NOW?!* Fark.com generates so much site traffic when new articles are links that it can actually crash servers. Poll-crashing is not a new phenomenon.
It’s totally awesome seeing PZ in a PBS article, though.
It took a strange turn there at the end and, yeah, got the freeper thing wrong– but you did great, PZ!
freeper? If I ever get called a freeper by someone while crashing a poll, I’m eating Simon Owens’s first born child.
Geoff #1
I just visited your food blog, I shall return to it as I have become a bit of a foodie as I get older :-)
Its nice to see PZ getting recognition for his poll crashing, and everyone, give yourselves a pat on the back, without us, it would not happen.
Any chance that PZ will next take up pole dancing?
OK, I’m trying the salmon spirals. :o)
This is one of the few articles about the net community that doesn’t show more about the author’s ignorance – I guess talking to PZ and Greg first helped.
I did like that the ‘muscle flexing’ aspect was mentioned – marginalised or vilified groups can show their numbers. I believe a line was crossed with the atheist bus advert campaign. The speed that huge amount were collected should be noted by Kay Hagan next time she slangs off at atheists.
Geoff #1 – will you be posting recipes for Simon Owen’s first born as mentioned by Enshoku #9? We baby-eating atheists can substitute with local ingredients.
Good point about the election PZ.
Wow, PZ is number one. That’s pretty cool PZ. It can’t be easy, the ilk are a tough bunch to keep entertained, informed and educated.
PZ must be putting subliminal messages into the cephalopod photos. What is they bidding master…
It’s got a poll on the PBS page… and so many choices… so many choices…
:)
James
Oh yes! The test kitchen is heating up already. But make sure you’re using fresh local ingredients. It’s considered uncouth to use wilted vegetables with cute adorable babies. We anti-freepers have to know these things. ;)
Who’s Simon Owen?
I have some old fashioned recipes I could share with you Geoff.
The Rev. BigDumbChimp’s southern style cooking really appeals to me as well.
It was amazing how popular MAJeff’s foodie guest thread was while PZ was away. I’ll bet that would be a huge draw on a blog as say a monthly guest feature.
Dammit Geoff!
Post a warning before you go showing a picture like that. It hurts like hell to snort a key lime wedge through ones nose.
Kack! What a mess.
Here’s a poll about embryonic stem cell research.
http://news.aol.com/article/stem-cells-from-testicles-an-option-to/205219?referer=sphere_related_content
Remember, kids, it isn’t crashing, it’s active demographic preference readjustment.
Along the same lines… I’m thinking there is nowhere more suitable than this blog to initiate a massive wave of IRS complaints against the LDS.
Visit http://lds501c3.wordpress.com/ to start the process.
Speaking of poll crashing, the rightwinger nutjobs have set up a petition thanking Sarah…
My entry:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/thank-you-sarah-palin
Enjoy.
I guess if you have a food blog/website and you poll people on the best ingredients for a fruit pie (say) then no-ones going to be much interested in crashing that. That sort of poll might have some value for the foody nerds who check the blog out.
It’s only the one’s that ask provocative questions who deserve crashing, just in case they try to give some legitimacy to the results of their loaded (usually) question.
In recent months, he and a small group of other atheist bloggers have begun a constant and often-successful campaign to crash online unscientific polls, usually to counterbalance or push back against what they see as either anti-science or overly-dogmatic beliefs.
Haha, PZ got busted…Useless polls which can be manipulated. Oh the senseless of it all. However, some say it shows clout when the poll is being crashed, or they claim it’s just showing opinion. It went from useless to purposeful polls. Could it be both? Stay tuned for another adventure in poll crashing…lol
Dear PZ, in light of this article, I demand that you provide us with more polls to crash!
In all seriousness, it is an interesting read.
there was a band from minnesota called Walt Mink. they had an album called “The Poll Riders Win Again!!!”
we’re not poll crashers, we’re Poll Riders!
incidentally, Walt Minks live cover of “Free to be you and me” is excellent.
The PBS website has a poll about poll crashing.
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/
charge!
here is the url to the poll about polls. it is on the lower right side.
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2008/11/poll-crashers-tilt-unscientific-polls-their-way311.html
(if you delete cookies you can vote twice…)
“…these polls are silly and useless anyway.” The only thing more silly and useless is crashing them. It makes you look petty and stupid.
Your concern is noted.
PeeZed!! How could you?!
I told you that in confidence!!
:cries:
PeeZed!! How could you?!
I told you that in confidence!!
:cries:
Concern troll is concerned.
@ Vanya: To quote Dick to the Dawk to the P-H-D: “Your concern is noted – and stupid.”
/snarkasm
Wait. Hold on.
These polls mean something?
Scientists like PZ should be educating the public about the real science in statistics and probability.
You should at least tell the people who you are directing against polls the reasons why internet polls are dangerous.
The internet polls are dangerous, not because of the internet, but because they violate the first principle of polls: the sample of the population must be carefully selected, not left to the chance and hidden motives of letting anyone answer.
If we, the scientists, play with the subject, we cannot criticize the abuse by others.