Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site osu-eddie.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!osu-eddie!karl From: karl@osu-eddie.UUCP (Karl Kleinpaste) Newsgroups: net.women,net.singles Subject: Re: Ann Landers Survey Message-ID: <55@osu-eddie.UUCP> Date: Sat, 19-Jan-85 17:07:54 EST Article-I.D.: osu-eddi.55 Posted: Sat Jan 19 17:07:54 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 21-Jan-85 00:44:14 EST References: <1117@pyuxa.UUCP> Organization: You really don't want to know Lines: 36 Xref: watmath net.women:4156 net.singles:5484 ---------- > How about it, netters (male and female)? - Which do you prefer: > 1) Sex, 2) a hug, 3) reading Ann Landers, 4) none of the above (for Jeff :-) ---------- My wife and I talked about this one for a while. Our conclusion is that Ann Landers is off her rocker in at least 2 ways. (a) My wife argues against the 72% conclusion, saying that sex is better, but were I to develop permanent impotence for whatever reason, she would have little problem giving it up. I argue against the 72% conclusion, too. Count 2 votes for option [1] above. (2) AL's sampling technique is completely bogus. The only people who would respond to such a survey are those who have a *really strong feeling* one way or the other. That survey is unlike this network, where responding to a survey requires nothing more than the same medium used to see the question, that is, a terminal. No; to respond to AL, you have to get a postcard, write words on it, find a stamp (now let's be honest, netters: how many of you know where there's a 20c stamp in your house right now? :-), get to a post office, and mail it. That means that only those who are really motivated to one side or the other of the question will answer. Now, of those for whom the response would have been "sex over hugs" (i.e., the 28% conclusion), how many would be so motivated as to write AL a postcard? *My* wife certainly wasn't. (Maybe you or your wife was, of course...) Considering also the number of women whom AL quoted with complaints such as being raped 5 times a week by their husbands, it seems to me that those for whom the response is "hugs over sex" are considerably more motivated to their side of the question than are those of the "sex over hugs" persuasion. It was a pretty stupid way to conduct a survey. But then she never claimed it was scientific, did she? -- Karl Kleinpaste @ Bell Labs, Columbus 614/860-5107 +==-> cbrma!kk @ Ohio State University 614/422-0915 osu-eddie!karl