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Why Klout's Social Influence Scores Are Nonsense
jfruh writes "Klout is a new social media service that attempts to quantify how much 'influence' you have, based on your social media profile. Their metrics are bizarre — privacy blogger Dan Tynan has been rated as highly influential on the topic of cigars, despite having only smoked one, decades ago. Nevertheless, Klout scores have real-world consequences, with people deemed influential getting discounts on concert tickets or free access to airport VIP lounges (in hopes that they'll tweet about it, presumably)."
It is funny how first generation Chinese can come to the USA and do very well on IQ tests. No one claims the IQ test is "culturally biased" then.
It is also funny how blacks who have been in the USA for generations spanning 200+ years take the same IQ tests. No language barrier and they grew up all their lives exposed to the same mainstream culture. On average they do poorly on these tests compared to whites and Asians. Then of course the IQ test is "culturally biased".
The problem with political correctness is it requires so many mental gymnastics to adhere to it. Naturally no one talking about "culture" wants to acknowledge that blacks have a profoundly anti-educational and anti-intellectual culture that tends to glorify gang violence and underachievement. Meanwhile Asians overwhelmingly tend to value education and achievement. If you are a black youth, a very easy way to get menaced, threatened, and physically assaulted on a daily basis is to study hard and try to take your education seriously, for then you will be accused of "acting white".
Of course that goes against the PC orthodoxy that blacks can do no wrong, all decisions they make are good, and all problems they have are caused by white people who are oppressing and victimizing them. I say they are like anybody else - if they make poor decisions they get poor results. Which is actually racist and which is actually egalitarian? They are not idiots who need to be humored and "white guilt" for past horrors you did not personally commit and could not have stopped is not a sound basis for policy. Blacks are their own worst enemies and actively discourage their own members from bettering themselves.
For once can we be realistic about this? Only the small-minded worry about "blame". Those with sense concern themselves with an honest appraisal of what could be done differently.