Comments on: Note to Chronicle: I can haz trendlines? http://mikecaulfield.com/2008/10/27/note-to-chronicle-i-can-haz-trendlines/ Mostly edtech, w/ some politics and stylistics. By Mike Caulfield Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:06:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Mike http://mikecaulfield.com/2008/10/27/note-to-chronicle-i-can-haz-trendlines/comment-page-1/#comment-256 Mike Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:12:59 +0000 http://mikecaulfield.com/?p=187#comment-256 I know -- it's like they create a stereotype with no data, and then proceeded to debunk the stereotype. It's similar with "fanning" -- only a quarter fanned a candidate! Well what does that mean? If students use fanning candidates the way 40 yr olds use yard signs, then that's a crazy high level of fanning. If it's cultural equivalent is just saying you support a candidate, then it's low. A neat study would be to use traditional measures of political engagement and then see how methods of participation map out in the various tiers of engagement across generation. Combine that with some sociology/anthropology on asking students on whether signs are a higher level of commitment than a facebook group, etc. *That* would be interesting. I know — it’s like they create a stereotype with no data, and then proceeded to debunk the stereotype. It’s similar with “fanning” — only a quarter fanned a candidate!

Well what does that mean? If students use fanning candidates the way 40 yr olds use yard signs, then that’s a crazy high level of fanning. If it’s cultural equivalent is just saying you support a candidate, then it’s low.

A neat study would be to use traditional measures of political engagement and then see how methods of participation map out in the various tiers of engagement across generation. Combine that with some sociology/anthropology on asking students on whether signs are a higher level of commitment than a facebook group, etc.

*That* would be interesting.

]]> By: Martha http://mikecaulfield.com/2008/10/27/note-to-chronicle-i-can-haz-trendlines/comment-page-1/#comment-255 Martha Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:29:48 +0000 http://mikecaulfield.com/?p=187#comment-255 I *love* the bit about only 2% of college students posting videos to YouTube. I can just imagine the people writing this survey sitting around trying to figure out how to take the pulse of today's young people. I know! Let's ask a question about YouTube. Yeah! If young people care about something, YouTube has to be the way to measure its worth. I'm not saying YouTube isn't an amazing phenomenon, but I think understanding it takes a bit more nuance than that. I would have been interested in a question that asked how many college students had *watched* something campaign/election-related on YouTube. I suspect the nubmer number would be much higher. Furthermore, isn't the fact that 2% of college students are creating original media content about a political campaign on a video-sharing site that DIDN'T EVEN EXIST in 2004 pretty amazing! But I guess the authors didn't see it that way. . . I *love* the bit about only 2% of college students posting videos to YouTube.

I can just imagine the people writing this survey sitting around trying to figure out how to take the pulse of today’s young people. I know! Let’s ask a question about YouTube. Yeah! If young people care about something, YouTube has to be the way to measure its worth.

I’m not saying YouTube isn’t an amazing phenomenon, but I think understanding it takes a bit more nuance than that.

I would have been interested in a question that asked how many college students had *watched* something campaign/election-related on YouTube. I suspect the nubmer number would be much higher.

Furthermore, isn’t the fact that 2% of college students are creating original media content about a political campaign on a video-sharing site that DIDN’T EVEN EXIST in 2004 pretty amazing! But I guess the authors didn’t see it that way. . .

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