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The problem with surveys

Posted by: Nathan Campbell | Monday, 21 December 2009, 10:18 | Category : Communication, Culture

You know what I hate more than any­thing else in TV news bul­letins. The viewer poll. The viewer poll is not news — nor is it indica­tive of the public’s actual thoughts on an issue. It is a rev­enue raiser. A tax on those stu­pid enough to phone or SMS an expen­sive number.

You can write a sur­vey and skew a ques­tion any way you want. For polling to be legit it needs to be car­rier out objec­tively by a com­pany that can pro­duce and mod­er­ate results to ensure a proper sam­ple of the com­mu­nity is rep­re­sented — and it needs to include the num­ber of peo­ple who didn’t care enough about the issue to respond either pos­i­tively or negatively.

Dinosaur Comics explains…

Here’s a com­pletely unre­lated Dinosaur comic that made me laugh…

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Author: Nathan Campbell

Nathan runs St Eutychus. He is currently a student at the Queensland Theological College. In a previous professional life he worked in public relations for an economic development and tourism marketing organisation. He is married to Robyn. He likes coffee and the internet.

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Jeff K : I ask people how their Bible reading is going if I get into
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KIM : *like* or am i not supposed to put words in stars?? i li
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Ben McLaughlin : Heh! That's cool that they were such good sports about it.
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Al Bain : It was your comment that all actions should tick at least
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Nathan Campbell : I don't know that I'm restricting all actions to this tricho
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al bain : On what scriptural basis are you restricting all actions to
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Nathan Campbell : How are these, for definitions... Work = Activities for b
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KIM : i second the recommendation for communicate jesus -- and can
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Gary Ware : That hollow feeling in the pit of your gut when the fact you
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Anika Q : Rather off topic, but I found out today that there is a semi
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About St. Eutychus

Eutychus was a young man who fell to his death because the Apostle Paul preached for too long (Acts 20). I've decided to canonise Eutychus and make him the patron saint of my dalliances around the Internet.

About Nathan

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Recent Comments

Jeff K : I ask people how their Bible reading is going if I get into an awkward convo at church. works a treat.
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KIM : *like* or am i not supposed to put words in stars?? i like it anyway!
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Ben McLaughlin : Heh! That's cool that they were such good sports about it.
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Al Bain : It was your comment that all actions should tick at least one that got me wondering. I think the three categories we have been talking about are helpful. And probably the easiest way to thi
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Nathan Campbell : I don't know that I'm restricting all actions to this trichotomy - because I think "worship" is probably another element that could be added to the Venn diagram (that would overlap heavily with the ot
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al bain : On what scriptural basis are you restricting all actions to this trichotomy?
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Nathan Campbell : How are these, for definitions... Work = Activities for bringing order. Rest = Activities for rejuvenation. Play = Activities for pleasure. I still think the best actions tick two or more of
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KIM : i second the recommendation for communicate jesus -- and can vouch that its blogger is just as adept at real life interaction as he is at facebook!
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Gary Ware : That hollow feeling in the pit of your gut when the fact you've been ripped off is really something isn't it? At least it doesn't involve damage to the car, as well. We had our Tarago front quarter w
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Anika Q : Rather off topic, but I found out today that there is a seminar on the Eutychus passage in Acts in UQ's religious department this Friday at 2. I thought I'd mention it to you, for obvious reasons.
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