Poll crashing makes the news

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.

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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.

Umm, aren't freepers rightwingers named after Free Republic trolls? I just thought we were poll crashers.

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)

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.

By Aphrodine (not verified) on 06 Nov 2008 #permalink

It took a strange turn there at the end and, yeah, got the freeper thing wrong-- but you did great, PZ!

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?

By mayhempix (not verified) on 06 Nov 2008 #permalink

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.

By Peter McKellar (not verified) on 06 Nov 2008 #permalink

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...

By Nerd of Redhead (not verified) on 06 Nov 2008 #permalink

It's got a poll on the PBS page... and so many choices... so many choices...

:)

James

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.

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.

Remember, kids, it isn't crashing, it's active demographic preference readjustment.

By Pikemann Urge (not verified) on 06 Nov 2008 #permalink

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:

One of the bad things about all the goofy reporting on your expensive wardrobe and your magazine preferences was the fact that we never really got around to discussing how you favor the rights of a rapist's baby over those of our daughters in deciding the fate of the bastard offspring. You should be thankful Katie didn't ask you about the prominence of witchcraft in your hometown church, or any of the incredulous religious hooey you subscribe to. You kept yourself securely out of the fire of a curious press and public. We never got to see any of your medical records and I know Andrew Sullivan will be looking forward to seeing them in 2012, since your campaign never really got around to clarifying the family tree to the satisfaction of many like Mr. Sullivan. Your exact thoughts on humans, vis-a-vis whether they had dinosaurs as pets, is also of extreme curiosity to some science types I know. Let's do this again in 2012.

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.

"...these polls are silly and useless anyway." The only thing more silly and useless is crashing them. It makes you look petty and stupid.

"...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.

they can flex a little itty bitty muscle

PeeZed!! How could you?!

I told you that in confidence!!

:cries:

they can flex a little itty bitty muscle

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

By Mad Hussein LO… (not verified) on 08 Nov 2008 #permalink

"...these polls are silly and useless anyway." The only thing more silly and useless is crashing them. It makes you look petty and stupid.

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.

By Andres Villarreal (not verified) on 12 Nov 2008 #permalink