Because, unfortunately, a lot of those "nutcases" still hold a great deal of sway - if by sheer number alone. Politicians must play to the masses, and if the politicians are coerced or pressured into passing a ban because of the opinion of the masses, the scientists that did not tippy-toe around the issue to begin with are screwed. Progress has always been hindered by the masses if they feel it is unethical or sacreligious - regardless of the religion or ethics involved.
That's funny, I can't seem to find any place in my posting that disparages Craigslist. I personally enjoy the site and use it for a wide variety of purposes, and it has been more than helpful in just about every aspect. However, I would not consider the activity level on the site itself to be any indication of how "tech friendly" a particular location is. All it really takes to utilize the site is a working internet browser and a working level of knowledge towards the site's very existence. A number of people I know regularly browse through the postings on Craigslist, and the majority of them could not be considered "tech"y in the least. The vast number of references I hear towards the site, in conversation or otherwise, are in reference to housing and job postings - not something that requires any technical background. Perhaps these people are the non-tech exception to the average user, but I cannot base my opinion beyond my direct experience.
Given this, I cannot see why Craiglist, in particular, was used as relative data for "scientific" research on how tech-savvy a particular city is - as opposed to other potential factors that might bear more significance.
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Because, unfortunately, a lot of those "nutcases" still hold a great deal of sway - if by sheer number alone. Politicians must play to the masses, and if the politicians are coerced or pressured into passing a ban because of the opinion of the masses, the scientists that did not tippy-toe around the issue to begin with are screwed. Progress has always been hindered by the masses if they feel it is unethical or sacreligious - regardless of the religion or ethics involved.
That's funny, I can't seem to find any place in my posting that disparages Craigslist. I personally enjoy the site and use it for a wide variety of purposes, and it has been more than helpful in just about every aspect. However, I would not consider the activity level on the site itself to be any indication of how "tech friendly" a particular location is. All it really takes to utilize the site is a working internet browser and a working level of knowledge towards the site's very existence. A number of people I know regularly browse through the postings on Craigslist, and the majority of them could not be considered "tech"y in the least. The vast number of references I hear towards the site, in conversation or otherwise, are in reference to housing and job postings - not something that requires any technical background. Perhaps these people are the non-tech exception to the average user, but I cannot base my opinion beyond my direct experience. Given this, I cannot see why Craiglist, in particular, was used as relative data for "scientific" research on how tech-savvy a particular city is - as opposed to other potential factors that might bear more significance.
'Craigslist postings per capita'. Because we all know the number of Craigslist posting is about as scientific as one can get.