jj (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} jj_) wrote,@ 2005-03-14 08:28:00 |
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Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics (Again)
The recent Gallup Poll purporting to demonstrate the continuing irrelevance of blogs in presentation of news is flawed in two major areas:
1. Blogs don't present news and never have done.
Bloggers comment on news items. They don't claim to report news as such. Where they have reported news it's usually been taken up by mainstream media after being discussed in the blogosphere.
2. Surveys about readership of blogs are irrelevant to their influence in society.
Critical mass readership is no measure of influence. Influence is about how a phenomenon affects the direction of society, politics and culture. Blogs have been extremely valuable in circulating memes online and as vehicles of viral marketing campaigns. Interestingly, there are many cases of a meme beginning in a blog and then circulated through email links and water-cooler discussions in business environments. Many of those who may appear in a survey on blogging as people who do not read blogs, have probably been directed to content that has been discussed in blogs whether they realise it or not. Also, the influence of blogs on policy creation and the careers of players in the political arena are profound: the entire Jeff Gannon/J D Guckert debacle should be evidence enough of that.
Andrew Sullivan's prediction that:
... hasn't actually been debunked. Gallup's claims that:
... are in fact, irrelevant. Blogging is a publishing revolution, and information sharing in the blogosphere is pretty much exactly what Napster used to be for music. So Andrew Sullivan was right.
Regular access to information is not influence. Wake up, Gallup.
The recent Gallup Poll purporting to demonstrate the continuing irrelevance of blogs in presentation of news is flawed in two major areas:
1. Blogs don't present news and never have done.
Bloggers comment on news items. They don't claim to report news as such. Where they have reported news it's usually been taken up by mainstream media after being discussed in the blogosphere.
2. Surveys about readership of blogs are irrelevant to their influence in society.
Critical mass readership is no measure of influence. Influence is about how a phenomenon affects the direction of society, politics and culture. Blogs have been extremely valuable in circulating memes online and as vehicles of viral marketing campaigns. Interestingly, there are many cases of a meme beginning in a blog and then circulated through email links and water-cooler discussions in business environments. Many of those who may appear in a survey on blogging as people who do not read blogs, have probably been directed to content that has been discussed in blogs whether they realise it or not. Also, the influence of blogs on policy creation and the careers of players in the political arena are profound: the entire Jeff Gannon/J D Guckert debacle should be evidence enough of that.
Andrew Sullivan's prediction that:
This, at least, is the idea: a publishing revolution more profound than anything since the printing press. Blogger could be to words what Napster was to music -- except this time, it'll really work. Check back in a couple of years to see whether this is yet another concept that online reality has had the temerity to destroy.
... hasn't actually been debunked. Gallup's claims that:
while blogging is certainly wielding some influence in media and political circles, traditional news outlets are still the dominant sources of information for the American public.
... are in fact, irrelevant. Blogging is a publishing revolution, and information sharing in the blogosphere is pretty much exactly what Napster used to be for music. So Andrew Sullivan was right.
Regular access to information is not influence. Wake up, Gallup.
