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(inserts tongue firmly in cheek) I think there would be more money for a site that helps you argue your position from available data, the truth be damned. I'm

(inserts tongue firmly in cheek) I think there would be more money for a site that helps you argue your position from available data, the truth be damned. I'm thinking "How to Lie With Statistics"[1] as a service - tell it you want to, say, show that guns are becoming safer, or that higher taxation causes obesity, and it will produce a nicely manipulated graph containing only real figures from readily available datasets, ready for feeding to a journalist. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Lie_with_Statistics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Lie_with_Statistics

jjoonathan 13y ago
> I think there would be more money for a site that helps you argue your position Let me toss in some anecdotal evidence in support of your suspicion. The only "debate" site to hold my attention for more than a first visit is one that focuses on curating data to support arguments about certain issues (the curation is manual AFAIK). I initially stumbled across it when debating health care reform: http://healthcarereform.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004083 http://healthcarereform.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourc... Pay particular attention to to "Projects" sidebar on the left. It's a goldmine of relevant quantitative information and the arguments surrounding their interpretation. I actually don't think it's cynical to expect that this is the right way to approach the "debate market." Discovering data in relevant "digested" forms is a huge friction point. It should be central to the political debate process, it isn't, and anyone who can reduce the friction will be doing a huge service to humanity.
akg_67 13y ago
This is an interesting idea. I am consulting in data analytics and I get two type of clients. One where client hasn't made decision and looking for data analysis to guide them. Second where client has already made up mind and looking for data to convince others of their decision. How to lie with statistics can easily fulfill need of second type of client.

jjoonathan 13y ago

> I think there would be more money for a site that helps you argue your position Let me toss in some anecdotal evidence in support of your suspicion. The only "debate" site to hold my attention for more than a first visit is one that focuses on curating data to support arguments about certain issues (the curation is manual AFAIK). I initially stumbled across it when debating health care reform: http://healthcarereform.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004083 http://healthcarereform.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourc... Pay particular attention to to "Projects" sidebar on the left. It's a goldmine of relevant quantitative information and the arguments surrounding their interpretation. I actually don't think it's cynical to expect that this is the right way to approach the "debate market." Discovering data in relevant "digested" forms is a huge friction point. It should be central to the political debate process, it isn't, and anyone who can reduce the friction will be doing a huge service to humanity.

akg_67 13y ago

This is an interesting idea. I am consulting in data analytics and I get two type of clients. One where client hasn't made decision and looking for data analysis to guide them. Second where client has already made up mind and looking for data to convince others of their decision. How to lie with statistics can easily fulfill need of second type of client.