5 ms·

We live in a time where having "incorrect" thoughts can have very severe consequences. Pollsters and survey conductors are going to have to get used to an ever

We live in a time where having "incorrect" thoughts can have very severe consequences. Pollsters and survey conductors are going to have to get used to an ever increasingly number of people lying to them because they don't want to risk some offended mob coming after them for wrongthink. In the US, when it came to vaccines, there was one, and only one, acceptable thought: inject me as soon as possible. All other thoughts were verboten and most views that stray too far from that line still are unacceptable. Given the potential consequences, pollsters claiming answers will be held in strict confidence aren't going to make much headway against the cultural norms that offer personal destruction. It also doesn't help that many of these surveys are either conducted or sponsored by entities with strong political affinities.

crackercrews 4y ago
I received a call yesterday from what I believe is a legitimate polling organization. They knew my name and wanted to ask me some questions. There is zero chance I will ever answer polling questions under non-anonymous conditions. Even a small risk of a leak makes it not worthwhile. There's also no way to confirm that it's a legit survey.
- poulsbohemian 4y ago
  I wish it weren't this way, but... you realize that even in calling you, they already know everything about your life, right? Government, political parties, corporations, FAANG... they know all the pertinent details already about your beliefs, your buying habits, your lifestyle. Not answering their survey doesn't really change much. Now how to change it to give people back their privacy... that's what I'm less sure about. Clearly there are things where your privacy matters because it can be used against you, and then there are other areas where it is less clear what the material harm might be.
User23 4y ago
Probably the most memorable recent example was the 2016 election polling. Republicans were enthusiastically lying to pollsters.
- remarkEon 4y ago
  From a survey design perspective, can’t you deal with this sort of political trolling via control questions? “Is Barack Obama a hippopotamus?” and drop all responses that answer “yes”.
  - junofan 4y ago
    It’s not trolling. I’m not telling somebody over the phone whether I’m voting for the “wrong” candidate. End of story.
Isamu 4y ago
>they don't want to risk some offended mob coming after them for wrongthink. So where is this actually happening? I know lots of people claiming this is right around the corner since I’ve been born, but somehow the mind control police have failed to show up. Give me a case of someone being oppressed for a solicited opinion.
- leereeves 4y ago
  There are lots, but you only asked for one: Dorian Abbot at MIT. (And another, since discussing MIT reminded me: Richard Stallman.)
  - tragictrash 4y ago
    I got news for you and everyone else on this thread. This isn't new. The powerful always have and always will suppress opposing ideas.
    - leereeves 4y ago
      Who claimed it was new?

crackercrews 4y ago

I received a call yesterday from what I believe is a legitimate polling organization. They knew my name and wanted to ask me some questions. There is zero chance I will ever answer polling questions under non-anonymous conditions. Even a small risk of a leak makes it not worthwhile. There's also no way to confirm that it's a legit survey.

poulsbohemian 4y ago
I wish it weren't this way, but... you realize that even in calling you, they already know everything about your life, right? Government, political parties, corporations, FAANG... they know all the pertinent details already about your beliefs, your buying habits, your lifestyle. Not answering their survey doesn't really change much. Now how to change it to give people back their privacy... that's what I'm less sure about. Clearly there are things where your privacy matters because it can be used against you, and then there are other areas where it is less clear what the material harm might be.

User23 4y ago

Probably the most memorable recent example was the 2016 election polling. Republicans were enthusiastically lying to pollsters.

remarkEon 4y ago
From a survey design perspective, can’t you deal with this sort of political trolling via control questions? “Is Barack Obama a hippopotamus?” and drop all responses that answer “yes”.
- junofan 4y ago
  It’s not trolling. I’m not telling somebody over the phone whether I’m voting for the “wrong” candidate. End of story.

Isamu 4y ago

>they don't want to risk some offended mob coming after them for wrongthink. So where is this actually happening? I know lots of people claiming this is right around the corner since I’ve been born, but somehow the mind control police have failed to show up. Give me a case of someone being oppressed for a solicited opinion.

leereeves 4y ago
There are lots, but you only asked for one: Dorian Abbot at MIT. (And another, since discussing MIT reminded me: Richard Stallman.)
- tragictrash 4y ago
  I got news for you and everyone else on this thread. This isn't new. The powerful always have and always will suppress opposing ideas.
  - leereeves 4y ago
    Who claimed it was new?