Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hp-pcd!hpcvlx!everett From: everett@hpcvlx.cv.hp.com (Everett Kaser) Newsgroups: comp.sources.d Subject: Re: Shareware on Usenet: Summary of Poll Message-ID: <102690003@hpcvlx.cv.hp.com> Date: 15 Mar 90 16:39:32 GMT References: <1373@polari.UUCP> Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Corvallis, OR, USA Lines: 36 As in statistics, SUMMARIES can be used to prove anything! Reading The Super User's SUMMARY below... > / root@polari.UUCP (The Super User) writes... > > This is a summary of the responses to the poll on shareware distribution >on usenet. > > SUMMARY: Most respondents are against unrestricted posting of shareware >on usenet. Most favor either no posting at all of shareware or posting >restricted to moderated groups or to seperate groups altogether. > > No, it should not be allowed: 45 > Yes, it should be allowed with restrictions: 40 > Yes, it should be allowed: 32 > Unclear: 3 > ----------------------------------------------------------- > Total 120 gives the impression that most respondents didn't like having Shareware on usenet. However, I could easily re-write the summary, given the same data, as: SUMMARY: Most respondents are in favor of shareware postings on usenet. Most favor either unrestricted shareware postings or posting restricted to moderated groups or to seperate groups altogether. This is an equally valid summary, but casts an entirely different flavor upon the "results" of the poll. Note: the voting was 72 in favor of shareware to 45 against with 3 unclear. The point is to beware of accepting others interpretations of data without looking at the data yourself and forming your own opinions therefrom (that's a word, yeah, it really is!) (Well, it SHOULD be!) Everett Kaser Hewlett-Packard Company ...hplabs!hp-pcd!everett work: (503) 750-3569 Corvallis, Oregon everett%hpcvlx@hplabs.hp.com home: (503) 928-5259 Albany, Oregon