As an afterthought, I don’t actually care about the “popular and important” part of it—I usually ask someone for the population of Indonesia, and then to make me a confidence interval. So if he says 2 million, I ask him for a 98% confidence interval and then show him that he was wrong.
If you’re interested in trying this, make your own 98% confidence interval [two numbers X,Y such that you are 98% sure that X < population of Indonesia < Y] and then Google it.
[though as a side point, if you found the poll worth taking part in, then you found it worthwhile enough to a) read, b) do some [admittedly trivial] research, c) respond to. I think that means I’ve earned a karma point from you]
Furthermore, I don’t care whether you care if he gets a few meaningless internet points for making a poll
(I don’t care whether TraderJoe gets a few meaningless internet points either. I do, however, prefer a world in which the meaningless internet points have roughly the meaning they’re intended to have.)
As an afterthought, I don’t actually care about the “popular and important” part of it—I usually ask someone for the population of Indonesia, and then to make me a confidence interval. So if he says 2 million, I ask him for a 98% confidence interval and then show him that he was wrong. If you’re interested in trying this, make your own 98% confidence interval [two numbers X,Y such that you are 98% sure that X < population of Indonesia < Y] and then Google it.
Upvote this comment if your X<Pop(indonesia)<Y. [i.e. you made a good confidence interval].
I will do so once there’s a balancing karma sink :-).
For those who think like gjm, downvote this comment once you’ve upvoted the other one.
[though as a side point, if you found the poll worth taking part in, then you found it worthwhile enough to a) read, b) do some [admittedly trivial] research, c) respond to. I think that means I’ve earned a karma point from you]
I don’t care if he gets a few meaningless internet points for making a poll.
Furthermore, I don’t care whether you care if he gets a few meaningless internet points for making a poll
(I don’t care whether TraderJoe gets a few meaningless internet points either. I do, however, prefer a world in which the meaningless internet points have roughly the meaning they’re intended to have.)
Upvote this comment if your confidence interval was too tight and either Pop(Indonesia) < your X or Pop(Indonesia) > your Y.