Anyone know how to interpret this data?
It pleases me to know that a large proportion of readers are from Petersham itself, and from the Inner West more broadly. I like the idea that the project communicates with the same people who are featured within it. My fear from the Kellerberrin blog was that most of my readers were in Sydney, although apart from comments I had no way of testing that. But even the thought itself made me feel a bit odd – a kind of exoticism, urban subjects spying on the countryside…
But to what extent can we trust these ‘sham stats? For instance, a nice man called Benedict has admitted to voting himself into Petersham, although he actually lives in Marrickville. How much of this is going on? To what extent are locals more likely to vote, out of pride? To what extent can we measure the apathy of out-of-town readers? Are there other stats issues that I’m not even aware of here?
[footnote: I have applied to be a census collector in the ‘sham later this year. A few days ago I got a call from a nice fellow indicating there might be a possibility I’ve got the job! I’ll keep you posted, and you might see me at your doorstep with some forms to fill in soon…]
umm.. I voted twice. Although I was in petersham the first time and in Balmain the second. So technically I wasn’t scamming the system.
Alright, being the procrastinating Psychology student that I am, here’s the analysis:
Test for difference
All groups: Chi-square statistic is 723.2 (df=4, p Significant
Last two groups: Chi-square stat is 2 (df=1, p=0.3146) –> not significant
First three groups: Chi-quare stat is 288 (df=2, p Significant
(all tests within also significant)
Conclusion: There is evidence to suggest that a majority of your readership lived within the inner-west but outside of Petersham. The next highest amount of readers live within Petersham, followed by readers in greater Sydney. It is unclear whether the remainder of your readership lived inside or outside of Australia.
Hahaha! Umm… great analysis, Tully! I wouldn’t have figured it out otherwise! =D
Re: voting, I found that it would be possible for me to vote multiple times. I’ve voted once before but a couple of days later realised that the window popped open with the stats no longer showing and the voting options available to me again. Not sure how that happened, but definitely saw a flaw in the system.
And no, I’ve been good and haven’t voted a second time.
OKOKOK..
I voted at home and at work.
but both myself and my wife read the blog so i dont reeaallyy think it’s a scam.
J
this is like ‘confessions of a poll voter’!!
i only voted once but i was drawn to see the total vote count each time i tuned in and was strangely satisfied when it finally ticked over 100. Now i feel duped. :)
I’ve been reading ‘the sham’ obsessively all the way from Dubai to wile away the occasional slow hour or so at work because i fell in love with the way you wrote and the lovely australianess of it all. After 2 years in the Middle East I was amazed at how easily strong images of home were conjured up even by these ‘simplistic’ descriptions of daily life, and I’m not even from the sham! I am actually going to be very sorry to see it go and I only voted once.
hi marnie! wow, reading all the way from dubai!? what’s life like over there? (i love the fact that folks steal time from work to read the ‘sham. doesn’t guy debord say something about that?)
and thanks for your honesty in voting.
iwantphuong, if you clear your cookies, you can vote a second time. that’s prolly what happened to you.
tully, your analysis is hilarious. how long did it take you to work that out: “There is evidence to suggest that a majority of your readership lived within the inner-west but outside of Petersham”?
Marnie, do you realise Lucas’ cousin Elisabeth also lives and works in Dubai?
I voted once.
..about 20 minutes :)
I had no idea that Lucas had a cousin Elizabeth, or that she was living in Dubai but there are shedloads of us over here!
I work on a magazine called ‘Canvas – Art and Culture from the Middle East and Arab World’. I work with the publisher and he has said that one of the main reasons for the magazine is to change the general worldly perception of arabs/arabic culture by getting out there with more info about tings over here than who bombed who. I think it’s a very noble pursuit and it’s very well received overseas, even the UN have a subscription!
As far as life goes over here, drinking and smoking are national sports, it’s currently about 38 degrees with 50% humidity and it’s only going to get hotter! It’s a great place to be though, very safe and with a lot going on, and close to some cool places although, as is always the way (even in the sham!) you have a lot of grand ideas of what you’re going to do within your timeframe of relocation and then suddenly you’ve been here for 2 years and there are so many things left undone…
I voted twice as an out of towner (when I was in ACT) and once when I was at home (inner west) they where all different computers… don’t know just love voting. and cause I was reading it alot it seemed appropriate. I though you would get more votes so I didn’t think my two extra would matter so much.
Raq!! that totally changes the p value of my statistics, now it’s all wrong!