The people who visit Sierra's homepage are most likely Sierra game players. However, the minute you introduce the Slashdot effect, you have a biased crowd, who for the most part go vote for these polls just to _see_ the Slashdot Effect in action.
Explain that the people Im working with on this. The polls that are being done, is the rating of songs played on the Radio Station. The data they come with from the Internet Polls are within 5% of any other polls that they do.
Most Linux users _dont_ buy games, because most games/software are free. Granted there are those of us who would buy games for Linux, were they available, there is still a rather large group of Linux users who like Linux because almost everything is free.
Sierra has to determine whether or not investing their design time, can show profit, or just give them good Linux PR. I vote for the second.
Good Im not alone. While the "Slashdot Effect" allows us all to feel part of "Powerful Group", we quite possibly could be shooting ourselves in the foot.
I do disagree with you on your statement "Internet polls are of no statistical value". I am working with a company that does radio research for several Radio Stations, online. The polls that are taken, are taken by listeners of the radio station, with there own login/password. This type of "Internet Poll", can be powerful, and yet still be statistically acurate.
But I would agree with you if it were "Open For Public Internet Polls are of no statistical value".
Its now about 9:45 (Central) in the morning on beautiful Sunny day. By the time I read the message and went to vote over at Sierra, "Linux Games" was already up to 74%.
The power of Slashdot has no end. The only thing that worries me is that it could actually cause ill effects in the name of good. Lets say Sierra finds out that the story was posted on Slashdot. Now instead of seeing 74% (Or whatever it ends up at), they see a statistical sample that is not demographically correct.
Im sure most of you know, or feel, that most people view slashdot readers as "A Technically Elite Group. Now I personally dont believe this, but I must admit, most of the people I show Slashdot, view it as a "Geek's Page".
So now this 74%, has no bearing whatsoever on Sierra's decision to support Linux Games. Please tell me Im dreaming, cause I would hate to have the "Slashdot Effect" doing harm for the Linux movement.
Slashdot Mirror
The people who visit Sierra's homepage are most likely Sierra game players. However, the minute you introduce the Slashdot effect, you have a biased crowd, who for the most part go vote for these polls just to _see_ the Slashdot Effect in action.
Explain that the people Im working with on this. The polls that are being done, is the rating of songs played on the Radio Station. The data they come with from the Internet Polls are within 5% of any other polls that they do.
Most Linux users _dont_ buy games, because most games/software are free. Granted there are those of us who would buy games for Linux, were they available, there is still a rather large group of Linux users who like Linux because almost everything is free.
Sierra has to determine whether or not investing their design time, can show profit, or just give them good Linux PR. I vote for the second.
Good Im not alone. While the "Slashdot Effect" allows us all to feel part of "Powerful Group", we quite possibly could be shooting ourselves in the foot.
I do disagree with you on your statement "Internet polls are of no statistical value". I am working with a company that does radio research for several Radio Stations, online. The polls that are taken, are taken by listeners of the radio station, with there own login/password. This type of "Internet Poll", can be powerful, and yet still be statistically acurate.
But I would agree with you if it were "Open For Public Internet Polls are of no statistical value".
Its now about 9:45 (Central) in the morning on beautiful Sunny day. By the time I read the message and went to vote over at Sierra, "Linux Games" was already up to 74%.
The power of Slashdot has no end. The only thing that worries me is that it could actually cause ill effects in the name of good. Lets say Sierra finds out that the story was posted on Slashdot. Now instead of seeing 74% (Or whatever it ends up at), they see a statistical sample that is not demographically correct.
Im sure most of you know, or feel, that most people view slashdot readers as "A Technically Elite Group. Now I personally dont believe this, but I must admit, most of the people I show Slashdot, view it as a "Geek's Page".
So now this 74%, has no bearing whatsoever on Sierra's decision to support Linux Games. Please tell me Im dreaming, cause I would hate to have the "Slashdot Effect" doing harm for the Linux movement.