TeeJaw conjures Joe Friday and Colonel Potter to discuss Obamacare.

Heh.

Two Papers on Internet and Information Use, Disintermediation

Is the internet reflecting, or perhaps causing, increased segregation of news consumption and information exposure?


Ideological Segregation Online and Offline

Matthew Gentzkow & Jesse Shapiro
NBER Working Paper, April 2010

Abstract: We use individual and aggregate data to ask how the Internet is changing the ideological segregation of the American electorate. Focusing on online news consumption, offline news consumption, and face-to-face social interactions, we define ideological segregation in each domain using standard indices from the literature on racial segregation. We find that ideological segregation of online news consumption is low in absolute terms, higher than the segregation of most offline news consumption, and significantly lower than the segregation of face-to-face interactions with neighbors, co-workers, or family members. We find no evidence that the Internet is becoming more segregated over time.

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The World Wide Web and the U.S. Political News Market

Norman Nie, Darwin Miller, Saar Golde, Daniel Butler & Kenneth Winneg
American Journal of Political Science, April 2010, Pages 428-439

Abstract: We propose a framework for understanding how the Internet has affected the
U.S. political news market. The framework is driven by the lower cost of production for online news and consumers' tendency to seek out media that conform to their own beliefs. The framework predicts that consumers of Internet news sources should hold more extreme political views and be interested in more diverse political issues than those who solely consume mainstream television news. We test these predictions using two large datasets with questions about news exposure and political views. Generally speaking, we find that consumers of generally left-of-center (right-of-center) cable news sources who combine their cable news viewing with online sources are more liberal (conservative) than those who do not. We also find that those who use online news content are more likely than those who consume only television news content to be interested in niche political issues.

(Nod to Kevin L)

Some Links: Do the Hoaxie-Pokesie

Some links. No rhyme, no reason, but some links.

1. Dean Smith wants terminal groin. His neighbor, John Edwards, already has one.

2. A remarkably successful hoax, and my attempt to put the hammer down (P. 3). But I have to give the OP credit: it worked beyond all expectations. Well done, lad(dette).

3. "Do employers discriminate by gender? A field experiment in female-dominated
occupations," Alison Booth & Andrew Leigh, Economics Letters, forthcoming. Abstract: We test for gender discrimination by sending fake CVs to apply for entry-level jobs. Female candidates are more likely to receive a callback, with the difference being largest in occupations that are more female-dominated.

Paul Strikes Gold

Paul comes up big, showing that "The Internet has many corners." I read more than 40 of those ads, and found every one to be enjoyable.

I especially liked the one that listed the location as "OK OK OK OK OK." Perhaps Ms. Angus is trying to sell Angus, and we found out about it?

"Are we crazy"?? "Maybe!!

They got the dial-up blues

Remember the old joke, "it'd be faster to send it by carrier pigeon?". In South Africa it appears to be actually true:

"A South African information technology company on Wednesday proved it was faster for them to transmit data with a carrier pigeon than to send it using Telkom , the country's leading internet service provider.

Internet speed and connectivity in Africa's largest economy are poor because of a bandwidth shortage. It is also expensive.

Local news agency SAPA reported the 11-month-old pigeon, Winston, took one hour and eight minutes to fly the 80 km (50 miles) from Unlimited IT's offices near Pietermaritzburg to the coastal city of Durban with a data card was strapped to his leg.

Including downloading, the transfer took two hours, six minutes and 57 seconds -- the time it took for only four percent of the data to be transferred using a Telkom line.

SAPA said Unlimited IT performed the stunt after becoming frustrated with slow internet transmission times.

The company has 11 call-centers around the country and regularly sends data to its other branches.

Telkom could not immediately be reached for comment."

The best parts of this story are (1) the pigeon's name, and (2) the last sentence!

Hat tip to Mrs. Angus

I'm a sucker for these

I am a sucker for these rehearsed/spontaneous dance takeovers of public spaces.


But then, I really really like to dance, myself. Often when I first get out of the shower.

(Nod to the Bishop, who doesn't dance so much, but is happy that other people do.)

A Pretty Cool Final Project

Here is the audio / powerpoint to a final project for an indep study a student did with me this semester.


Thanks and props to Kuppa-Mo, for doing a nice job on the project. Pretty good stuff there. It is 34 mins long, though.

(UPDATE: No link in original post. But, as Lola Grynovski would have said, "You not geet for free. You not geet for pennies. You PAY for good theengs. Not for PENNIES!" And at that point John Jarosz would sneak out the back way, rather than take her to the grocery)

God Bless America

Student: Win, Teacher: Fail

In no way is #2 a Fail for the test taker. I would give full credit for noob as the opposite of pro, but deduct heavily for live as the opposite of death, ding for spelling on #3 and indecisiveness on #5. Maybe homeschooling is not such a bad idea after all.

Why it sucks to be President. Reason #1304850683

Teh interwebs, where this:




turns into this: