I agree. The differences between mental activity in young and old brains may account for more in this study than "internet savviness" does. It seems like a stacked deck to me. Why not compare equivalent groups--same ages, some frequent, some infrequent internet users?
Just returned from a road trip through British Columbia and Alberta. I confess it--Canadian customer service was terrific; hospitality exceeded expectations; and the quality of everything from rooms to roads was better on average than we experience in the States.
A few years ago in Russia, much poorer quality overall, but customer service was on average better than in the States. The police had to help me get my money back on a shady deal, but they did--right now--get my money back. NO luggage screening going in or coming out. Unlocked suitcase full of purchased items--nothing missing on arrival to next country. Get this: one member of our party, an elderly lady, left a fanny pack on the train containing her passport, US driver's license, all her cash, her traveler's checks, credit cards--the works. We called the train station (a little town called St. Petersburg, maybe you've heard of it) the next day and they had it in the depot office--not one kopeck was missing. It had been turned in by the conductor before the train left town.
But several countries we have visited, notably in Europe, are snooty in the customer service area. They will provide the same level of begrudgingly snarling customer service we have come to expect in America.
But in all fairness, I have to say that stereotyping all businesses--even all Best Buys--on the basis of an unpleasant experience you or your brother's wife's second cousin had at one of them once year's ago before you decided never to shop there again is a little bit premature. I've had some good experiences at Best Buy and some not so good ones. I generally don't buy electronics in a brick store--I shop online with a credit card. I buy thousands of dollars worth of merchandise this way every year. Why? Because I will get the price I want to pay, I will not be badgered about extended warranties, I will not be made to feel stupid for buying the less expensive model, and I can canvas dozens of stores while you are still trying to find parking for the first one. In addition, I can screen product reviews online while I shop, instead of depending on a high school kid who wants to make a sale to be a computer expert for me. Maybe it's disloyal to my local merchant, but--hey!--I'm the kind of sale-shopper he'd want to fire anyway.
I think it would have to be full and correct English sentences to qualify. For example:
1. OSS powers the internet. 2. The internet carries OSS. 3. Internet users develop OSS. 4. OSS is secure. 5. Anti-Americanism benefits OSS. 6. OSS merits respect. 7. Legends built OSS. 8. OSS uses Intel. 9. Increasingly, OSS supports embedded devices. 10. Increasingly, non-software companies develop OSS. 11. More companies favor OSS. 12. OSS is free.
That would be 44 words. Hyphenated terms used are not separatable; the abbreviation OSS is a standard abbreviation, like CIA or FBI or DRM or DMCA--these are counted as single words.
Slashdot Mirror
I agree. The differences between mental activity in young and old brains may account for more in this study than "internet savviness" does. It seems like a stacked deck to me. Why not compare equivalent groups--same ages, some frequent, some infrequent internet users?
Just returned from a road trip through British Columbia and Alberta. I confess it--Canadian customer service was terrific; hospitality exceeded expectations; and the quality of everything from rooms to roads was better on average than we experience in the States. A few years ago in Russia, much poorer quality overall, but customer service was on average better than in the States. The police had to help me get my money back on a shady deal, but they did--right now--get my money back. NO luggage screening going in or coming out. Unlocked suitcase full of purchased items--nothing missing on arrival to next country. Get this: one member of our party, an elderly lady, left a fanny pack on the train containing her passport, US driver's license, all her cash, her traveler's checks, credit cards--the works. We called the train station (a little town called St. Petersburg, maybe you've heard of it) the next day and they had it in the depot office--not one kopeck was missing. It had been turned in by the conductor before the train left town. But several countries we have visited, notably in Europe, are snooty in the customer service area. They will provide the same level of begrudgingly snarling customer service we have come to expect in America. But in all fairness, I have to say that stereotyping all businesses--even all Best Buys--on the basis of an unpleasant experience you or your brother's wife's second cousin had at one of them once year's ago before you decided never to shop there again is a little bit premature. I've had some good experiences at Best Buy and some not so good ones. I generally don't buy electronics in a brick store--I shop online with a credit card. I buy thousands of dollars worth of merchandise this way every year. Why? Because I will get the price I want to pay, I will not be badgered about extended warranties, I will not be made to feel stupid for buying the less expensive model, and I can canvas dozens of stores while you are still trying to find parking for the first one. In addition, I can screen product reviews online while I shop, instead of depending on a high school kid who wants to make a sale to be a computer expert for me. Maybe it's disloyal to my local merchant, but--hey!--I'm the kind of sale-shopper he'd want to fire anyway.
I think it would have to be full and correct English sentences to qualify. For example:
1. OSS powers the internet.
2. The internet carries OSS.
3. Internet users develop OSS.
4. OSS is secure.
5. Anti-Americanism benefits OSS.
6. OSS merits respect.
7. Legends built OSS.
8. OSS uses Intel.
9. Increasingly, OSS supports embedded devices.
10. Increasingly, non-software companies develop OSS.
11. More companies favor OSS.
12. OSS is free.
That would be 44 words. Hyphenated terms used are not separatable; the abbreviation OSS is a standard abbreviation, like CIA or FBI or DRM or DMCA--these are counted as single words.