Comments for Generalising http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog because we can't think of anything wittier Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:09:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 Comment on The oppressed Scottish Conservatives (both of them) by Andrew http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/2010/the-oppressed-scottish-conservatives-both-of-them/comment-page-1/#comment-347 Andrew Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:09:29 +0000 http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/?p=315#comment-347 In retrospect, I suppose the key test for 538 would be had they managed to predict the <i>2004</i> election at the time using their fancy model. How accurate were their Senate/House predictions compared to a simple average, I wonder? Thanks for the Plaid note... I had, I admit, entirely forgotten that far back. In retrospect, I suppose the key test for 538 would be had they managed to predict the 2004 election at the time using their fancy model. How accurate were their Senate/House predictions compared to a simple average, I wonder?

Thanks for the Plaid note… I had, I admit, entirely forgotten that far back.

]]> Comment on The oppressed Scottish Conservatives (both of them) by cim http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/2010/the-oppressed-scottish-conservatives-both-of-them/comment-page-1/#comment-345 cim Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:27:32 +0000 http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/?p=315#comment-345 And then there was <a href='http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/06/march-of-greens-final-voting-today-and.html' rel="nofollow">this one</a> from the EU elections where they decided that it was meaningful to group Plaid with the BNP as "nationalists". I conclude that they don't actually know anything about UK politics, and look forward to more amusement as their election coverage continues. (Then again I thought they were pretty overrated for US election coverage. Their fancy model did give the correct prediction in 49 states, but so did the incredibly simple "average the last two weeks of polls" model that other sites used) And then there was this one from the EU elections where they decided that it was meaningful to group Plaid with the BNP as “nationalists”. I conclude that they don’t actually know anything about UK politics, and look forward to more amusement as their election coverage continues.

(Then again I thought they were pretty overrated for US election coverage. Their fancy model did give the correct prediction in 49 states, but so did the incredibly simple “average the last two weeks of polls” model that other sites used)

]]> Comment on Fake reward signs by Amgine http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/2010/fake-reward-signs/comment-page-1/#comment-260 Amgine Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:31:58 +0000 http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/?p=290#comment-260 Consider the extraneous detail for verisimilitude. "Lost on campus," "may have left in café," or perhaps "Lost while walking the dog." Plausible, relevant to the advertising venue, and which suggests the scammer is ever-so-slightly stupider/klutzier/less-observant than the targeted shills. Consider the extraneous detail for verisimilitude. “Lost on campus,” “may have left in café,” or perhaps “Lost while walking the dog.” Plausible, relevant to the advertising venue, and which suggests the scammer is ever-so-slightly stupider/klutzier/less-observant than the targeted shills.

]]> Comment on Demographics in Wikipedia by Andrew http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/2010/demographics-in-wikipedia/comment-page-1/#comment-91 Andrew Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:31:07 +0000 http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/?p=191#comment-91 Marvellous, thankyou! I was actually plotting out how to write a script to do this for me - doing it by hand was pretty tedious, as you can imagine - but discovering someone's done it for me is even better :-) I'll rerun the data this weekend, hopefully, and see if any new patterns emerge. Thanks again... Marvellous, thankyou!

I was actually plotting out how to write a script to do this for me – doing it by hand was pretty tedious, as you can imagine – but discovering someone’s done it for me is even better :-)

I’ll rerun the data this weekend, hopefully, and see if any new patterns emerge. Thanks again…

]]> Comment on Demographics in Wikipedia by Mormegil http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/2010/demographics-in-wikipedia/comment-page-1/#comment-90 Mormegil Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:01:55 +0000 http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/?p=191#comment-90 If you are still interested in the data from other projects, you can try http://toolserver.org/~mormegil/natbirths/ It allows you to download a simple CSV file containing the numbers for more than 50 projects, including plwiki. (Go easy on the tool, large projects, or especially enwiki might take a few seconds…) If you are still interested in the data from other projects, you can try
http://toolserver.org/~mormegil/natbirths/
It allows you to download a simple CSV file containing the numbers for more than 50 projects, including plwiki. (Go easy on the tool, large projects, or especially enwiki might take a few seconds…)

]]> Comment on Demographics in Wikipedia by Tweets that mention Generalising » Blog Archive » Demographics in Wikipedia -- Topsy.com http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/2010/demographics-in-wikipedia/comment-page-1/#comment-83 Tweets that mention Generalising » Blog Archive » Demographics in Wikipedia -- Topsy.com Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:18:47 +0000 http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/?p=191#comment-83 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Angela Beesley, Wikipedia Signpost, Wikipedia Signpost, Andrew Garrett, John Burger and others. John Burger said: Interesting analysis of #Wikipedia biography trends and biases across different languages: http://ur1.ca/l34v (via @wikisignpost) [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Angela Beesley, Wikipedia Signpost, Wikipedia Signpost, Andrew Garrett, John Burger and others. John Burger said: Interesting analysis of #Wikipedia biography trends and biases across different languages: http://ur1.ca/l34v (via @wikisignpost) [...]

]]> Comment on Demographics in Wikipedia by uberVU - social comments http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/2010/demographics-in-wikipedia/comment-page-1/#comment-79 uberVU - social comments Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:32:49 +0000 http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/?p=191#comment-79 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by wikisignpost: More really interesting analysis of cross-language #Wikipedia biography trends in the 20th century: http://ur1.ca/l34v German, Spanish added... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by wikisignpost: More really interesting analysis of cross-language #Wikipedia biography trends in the 20th century: http://ur1.ca/l34v German, Spanish added…

]]> Comment on Security theatre strikes again by Andrew http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/2009/security-theatre-strikes-again/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Andrew Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:05:29 +0000 http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/?p=121#comment-21 The <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/26/airplane-electronics-ban/" rel="nofollow">other story floating around</a> is a contemplated ban on electronics, so the electronics issue may be moot. (I am hoping this one is just noise, but on the other hand it's more plausible than the everyone-sit-still-now idea) The other story floating around is a contemplated ban on electronics, so the electronics issue may be moot. (I am hoping this one is just noise, but on the other hand it’s more plausible than the everyone-sit-still-now idea)

]]> Comment on Security theatre strikes again by Karl Sherratt http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/2009/security-theatre-strikes-again/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Karl Sherratt Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:49:31 +0000 http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/?p=121#comment-20 Oh no VK, this wouldn't apply to people in suits, they're *special*... Oh no VK, this wouldn’t apply to people in suits, they’re *special*…

]]> Comment on Security theatre strikes again by VK http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/2009/security-theatre-strikes-again/comment-page-1/#comment-19 VK Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:25:47 +0000 http://www.generalist.org.uk/blog/?p=121#comment-19 I can't imagine they could keep that up as a restriction - for a start small children are not going to keep quiet for an hour without something to fiddle with, or eat. Hell, I'm not going to keep quiet for an hour without something to fiddle with or read. Not to mention lack of toilet use on 90 minute fights for pregnant women, young children and disabled passagers is just going to mean smelly wet flights. Also problems with timed medication taking. And the rush queue to the toilets on long flights when everyone realises the last chance for peeing comes up. And would personal items include laptops? Because there goes all of business class I can’t imagine they could keep that up as a restriction – for a start small children are not going to keep quiet for an hour without something to fiddle with, or eat. Hell, I’m not going to keep quiet for an hour without something to fiddle with or read. Not to mention lack of toilet use on 90 minute fights for pregnant women, young children and disabled passagers is just going to mean smelly wet flights. Also problems with timed medication taking. And the rush queue to the toilets on long flights when everyone realises the last chance for peeing comes up.
And would personal items include laptops? Because there goes all of business class

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