Fun With Biased Studies, Or How To Use Misleading Stats To Bash Technology

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More Misleading Studies About Children
And The Internet

More Misleading Studies About Children
And The Internet 09/07/2004 04:07 PM
A group in the UK called NCH can't seem to put out a reasonable, unbiased study to save their lives. This is the charity group that is spending so much time worrying about children that they can't be bothered with coming up with unbiased studies. Everything leans so far in one direction, it's almost silly. First they blamed the internet for child porn as if it wouldn't exist otherwise, followed by a survey using leading questions to make it look as though parents were afraid 3G wireless was dangerous to their kids. To top that they put out a fear-mongering report about 11 year olds gambling online, when all they had done was coax a single 16-year-old to sign up for an online gambling site. Their latest is along the same lines. They start with the assumption that "the internet is bad for children" and then absolutely freak out when many parents don't seem to agree with them. Rather than think that, perhaps, many parents actually understand and appreciate the risks of the internet -- knowing that a properly monitored and trained kid can handle the internet -- NCH immediately says parents need to be educated. In fact, the study shows that many who aren't worried say so because they believe their child has been adequately taught about the risks. Whether or not that's true is an open question. However, this NCH study doesn't go down that road, preferring to simply freak out that some parents might dare to trust their kids on the internet.

Quebec leads in high-technology exports,
provincial stats institute says

Quebec leads in high-technology exports,
provincial stats institute says 09/07/2004 09:44 PM
National Post Sep 8 2004 2:16AM GMT

University of London decides to merge
its United States studies with Latin
American studies

University of London decides to merge
its United States studies with Latin
American studies 01/16/2004 11:01 AM
EducationGuardian - Darkness at noon: "The university has embraced the fallacy of arguing that if Latin America cannot be understood...

Biased Against Whom?

Biased Against Whom? 08/09/2004 06:00 AM
Liberal bias versus right-wing conspiracy is a wonderful distraction. There is evidence enough on both sides. How can opposite claims be true? Confront a physicist with evidence supporting contradictory hypotheses and she will go looking for a more basic cause. Let's try that.

Yes, you are biased.

Yes, you are biased. 04/03/2005 12:57 AM
Who do you unconciously hate? The Harvard University implicit bias tests allow you to discover your own implicit stereotypes: age, gender, religion, race -- even politics and presidents. Each test takes about ten minutes, and the results are sometimes surprising. Perhaps announcing your biases should this be the equivalent of the geek code for policy threads.

Tough or biased?

Tough or biased? 06/01/2004 03:20 PM

Google's Newsbot Isn't Biased!

Google's Newsbot Isn't Biased! 12/27/2004 08:51 AM
Disinformation Dec 27 2004 12:20PM GMT

Macworld Biased Against Adobe?

Macworld Biased Against Adobe? 12/30/2004 02:49 PM
Quark VS InDesign .com?accuses Macworld of bias against Adobe, maker of Photoshop, InDesign, and several other industry-standard creative applications, by ignoring Adobe's products?in the recently announced 20th Annual Editors' Choice Awards.

MS admits Newsbot Biased Towards MSNBC

MS admits Newsbot Biased Towards MSNBC 08/01/2004 09:47 AM

It's Not Just the Media. These Days,
Everybody's Biased

It's Not Just the Media. These Days,
Everybody's Biased 11/10/2003 11:37 PM
I've long said

nytimes.com/2003/11/09/weekinreview/09NUMB.html
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Can Google News be systematically
biased?

Can Google News be systematically
biased? 09/24/2004 01:40 PM
This excellent story at Online Journalism Review covers and issue that I've often pondered since the rise of Google News.

Bush CIA Pick Says He Is Not Too Biased
for the Job (Reuters)

Bush CIA Pick Says He Is Not Too Biased
for the Job (Reuters) 09/14/2004 11:20 AM
Reuters - The Republican congressman chosen by President Bush to head the CIA said on Tuesday his Democratic Party critics were wrong to say he was too partisan to take the job.

Palestinian PM Tells Powell That U.S. Is
Biased

Palestinian PM Tells Powell That U.S. Is
Biased 04/15/2004 10:14 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 15 2004 1:46PM GMT

The Moderate Voice - This Unfavorable
Poll Must Also Be "Biased," Right?

The Moderate Voice - This Unfavorable
Poll Must Also Be "Biased," Right? 03/24/2005 07:56 PM
This Unfavorable Poll Must Also Be "Biased," Right? .. Joe Gandelman: .. roundup

themoderatevoice.com/posts/1111644812.shtml
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White House decries Al-Jazeera as biased

White House decries Al-Jazeera as biased 06/07/2004 03:35 PM

"misleading because they were taken out
of context"

"misleading because they were taken out
of context" 09/03/2004 08:22 AM

Apple's Ads are too misleading

Apple's Ads are too misleading 06/11/2004 01:07 PM
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in Britain has several objections to Apple’s new G5 ads. There were three objections, the machine was “the world’s fastest personal computer”, that it was “the first with a 64-bit processor”, and that “the systems built around the G5 can shatter the 4-gigabyte memory ceiling that limits every other PC on earth”. The last two were rejected, but the first was not after an independent test comparing it to the Dell Dimension 8300 and the Dell Precision 650.

Was Microsoft’s ad really misleading?

Was Microsoft’s ad really misleading? 09/03/2004 04:51 AM
By now you’ve probably heard that the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) called Microsoft on the carpet over its “Get the Facts” advertising campaign touting the advantages of using Windows servers over Linux hosts. Specifically, the ASA found one ad, in which Microsoft claimed Linux was more expensive in the long run, to be misleading.

When PGP signatures can be misleading

When PGP signatures can be misleading 06/02/2004 10:33 AM

UK Claims G5 Ads Are Misleading

UK Claims G5 Ads Are Misleading 06/11/2004 07:11 PM

When encryption can be misleading

When encryption can be misleading 06/01/2004 05:41 AM

RNC misleading local stations

RNC misleading local stations 03/08/2004 11:07 PM

'Natural' food labels misleading

'Natural' food labels misleading 02/11/2004 09:53 PM
Pressure from food safety and consumer groups is growing for clearer labelling of additives in food and drink.

Microsoft accused of misleading
advertising in UK

Microsoft accused of misleading
advertising in UK 08/27/2004 01:58 PM
Now Microsoft has been warned by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority over its claims that Linux was found to be more than 10 times as expensive as a Windows-based solution in tests.

Misleading With Statistics On Copy
Protection

Misleading With Statistics On Copy
Protection 03/19/2005 03:18 AM
This one is just bizarre. In a recent study, about copy protection, a research firm is claiming that "consumers are not overwhelmingly antagonistic" towards copy protection. Even if this was true, it wouldn't prove that copy protection is good for business. Consumers may simply be ignorant about copy protection and what it means for them and for future offerings. However, the real issue is that the actual stats don't seem to support the conclusion at all. The study compared how many people would buy a "copy once" CD at a lower price, and found that 33% of those who don't rip CDs would buy the cheaper copy protected CD. That means 67% of those who don't copy CDs wouldn't buy a copy protected CD even if it were noticeably cheaper. That is, even though it provides no direct benefit to them (they don't rip, so why should they care), they still won't buy it. That certainly makes it sound like users are quite antagonistic to copy protection. Even those who it won't directly impact don't want it at a cheaper price. How can anyone claim this means users aren't antagonistic to the idea with a straight face when the data clearly shows the opposite?

Notes and Tips: Misleading Marketing

Notes and Tips: Misleading Marketing 07/26/2004 10:56 AM
You can't trust Mac compatibility claims for USB password protection.

IDC says piracy loss figure is
misleading

IDC says piracy loss figure is
misleading 07/19/2004 09:37 PM
Group that provided data for BSA piracy report states the conclusions were overstated. Also, did the BSA pledge support for the Induce Act without member approval?

Jamster Sued for Misleading Advertising

Jamster Sued for Misleading Advertising 04/08/2005 10:06 AM
A California resident has sued ringtone company Jamster over what he claims are misleading advertising practices that lure younger users into paying for text messages by advertising it as a "free ringtone." Charles Ford filed the lawsuit in a San Diego court, saying he was charged $1.99 plus normal carrier SMS fees.

Misleading Mobilkom Austria Announcement

Misleading Mobilkom Austria Announcement 02/16/2004 03:56 PM
This release says that Mobilkom Austria will build the "industry's first fully integrated Wi-Fi/cellular platform": If you read closely though, this isn't about seamless roaming from a Wi-Fi network to a cellular network but it's about backend integration. So a single backend billing, subscriber management and customer care platform will support both the Wi-Fi and cellular services offered by Mobilekom Austria. Also, this announcement sneaks in the tidbit that Mobilkom Austria will be offering Wi-Fi in McDonald's restaurants throughout Austria....

OFT fingers Bristol man over misleading
data protection ad

OFT fingers Bristol man over misleading
data protection ad 08/16/2004 08:18 AM
The Register Aug 16 2004 12:41PM GMT

Is It Misleading To Call A Dialup
Accelerator Broadband?

Is It Misleading To Call A Dialup
Accelerator Broadband? 04/14/2004 03:58 PM
These days many dialup providers have been offering "accelerators" for an additional fee (the technology is often provided by the company Propel, though there are a few others out there as well). These work by using caching and compression to make certain webpages appear faster - though, it doesn't actually speed up your connection at all. Now, popular cheap dialup up provider Joi Internet is being sued by BellSouth for false advertising, by claiming that their accelerated dialup is "DSL speed" and showing a commercial that implies it's even faster than BellSouth's DSL. Joi responds by making this into a David vs. Goliath style battle and claims that none of their customers have complained. Still, in this case, BellSouth has a point. The accelerated dialup is not DSL-speed at all, and implying that it is (or that it's faster than DSL) is clearly misleading.

Microsoft told to drop misleading Linux
ads

Microsoft told to drop misleading Linux
ads 08/31/2004 03:16 PM
SearchVB.com Aug 31 2004 6:34PM GMT

Reliance IndiaMobile warns against
misleading SMS 'offers'

Reliance IndiaMobile warns against
misleading SMS 'offers' 09/05/2004 02:12 AM
TechTree Sep 5 2004 5:50AM GMT

Reuters Wins The 2003 Dishonest
Reporting "Award" For Their Skewed And
Biased Coverage Of The
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Reuters Wins The 2003 Dishonest
Reporting "Award" For Their Skewed And
Biased Coverage Of The
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 12/18/2003 05:45 AM
Well, was there ever any doubt? .. Reuters

honestreporting.com/articles/critiques/2003_Dishonest_Report ing_-Award-.asp
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"give interviews where he says stuff
that are clearly false or purposely
misleading"

"give interviews where he says stuff
that are clearly false or purposely
misleading" 08/31/2004 03:06 PM

Research Director Of BSA Study Admits
BSA Is Misleading The Public

Research Director Of BSA Study Admits
BSA Is Misleading The Public 07/19/2004 06:21 AM
Two weeks ago we noted that the BSA had come out with their latest bogus study on the numbers concerning losses associated with illegal software copying. The main problem we had with that study (as with any such study) is the ridiculous assumption that every piece of copied software is a "lost sale," as well as the failure to admit that unauthorized copying often also has a positive result in introducing the software to those who can't afford it -- but who later do buy it when they can. Now, buried at the end of a NY Times piece that mostly focuses on the ridiculous INDUCE Act, is the fact that IDG, who did the study for the BSA, admits that the BSA is being purposely misleading in how they presented the results. The article quotes the research director at IDG saying that they believe approximately 10% of copied software represents a lost sale, and that they call the total number they came up with "the retail value of pirated software." It was only once the BSA took the study and started promoting it, that they called it "sales lost to piracy." Considering the number of laws that get put in place because of misleading studies like this, shouldn't this be top-of-the-article news, rather than hidden down at the end? Meanwhile, the BSA responds to the claim by saying it doesn't really matter if the real number is "a little lower." I had no idea that numbers inflated by a factor of 10 were just a little bit off...

Microsoft told to drop misleading Linux
adverts

Microsoft told to drop misleading Linux
adverts 08/28/2004 11:17 AM
PC Magazine UK Aug 28 2004 3:50PM GMT

Spinsanity - Stereotypes run amok:
Slate's misleading "Bushisms" and
"Kerryisms"

Spinsanity - Stereotypes run amok:
Slate's misleading "Bushisms" and
"Kerryisms" 06/16/2004 03:59 AM
Slate's misleading "Bushisms" and "Kerryisms" .. strip context and oversimplify situations .. new item on Spinsanity .. Spinsanity points out .. Jacob Weisberg's

spinsanity.org/columns/20040615.html
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"stories from Iraq that remain buried in
the flood of misleading reporting"

"stories from Iraq that remain buried in
the flood of misleading reporting" 06/25/2004 03:22 PM

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Fun With Biased Studies, Or How To Use Misleading Stats To Bash Technology

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