Interesting blog survey findings

[blueloo]

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2006/04/26/who_reads_political_blogs.html

What do people think? The income of people using blogs bothers me, I wish it were lower. Would red states trend blue if more access to the internet was available?

[CornField]

1. Along the same lines...

Here in Iowa we are blessed. Many times I don't think we realize exactly how blessed we truly are.

I've worked on a few school bond issues here and there (both as a citizen/parent and also as a journalist) and Iowa administrators understand that no bond issue will pass if it doesn't include at least equal treatment of both academic and extracurricular. I had made the assumption that school districts throughout the nation operated on this same premise... then I had opportunity to visit my high school alma mater in Oklahoma.

There was an expansion the year after I graduated. I was one of the students who helped circulate literature for that one because it included a new cafeteria/auditorium, several classrooms (including new science labs) and a couple private music practice rooms. In short, it was not extravagant and passed easily.

I'm not sure what I expected when I returned, but what I found was two new major athletic additions -- the latest gym/lockerooms/concessions/soforth rivaled many private and professional facilities I'd visited. They even had that boxy, big screen, score board thingamajig on the ceiling at center court. The sound system was amazing... the computer integration was especially interesting. At first, I was impressed.

I then ventured over to the high school media center. It was as if I'd stepped through a time warp. Only one thing had changed: a portion of the already too small space had been partitioned off for a 6-station computer lab. (Those were the *only* student-accessible workstations in the entire high school.) It was just... appalling.

That's the mentality there and I just don't think the Internet alone is going to be able to make a dent in it because it's more than just a mindset - it's a tradition, passed down from father to son and mother to daughter. While there are definitely exceptions to the broad strokes I'm painting, there is not enough to really make that big of a difference. Learning, for lack of a better term, is often viewed as a side-product of junior high and high school and not the primary focus.

The truth of this lies in the two students of the week on my old high school bulletin board. One girl, one boy. One cheerleader and roundballer. One football standout and hurler. The information made a big deal out of the fact that both maintained 3.0 GPAs -- a hair above a 'C'. This one line about academics was completely overshadowed by their athletic accomplishments, their club participation (special attention to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and their overall social status within the school.

I've taken a long time to type what I probably could have said in one sentence: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

[IA_Seth]

2. Well you'll be happy to know....

That I am younger, more poor, and less educated than the average blogger...that sure made my day!

I have to say the results surprised me. To be honest, I don't think "highly educated" when I read a lot of the blogs out there.

[blueloo]

3. As a college student

I'm not really sure that a undergraduate degree means s**t but I'm sure bloggers have a post-secondary degree, perhaps two.
If I want to read something insightful or of quality writing on topics of the day I usually read the Chronicle of Higher Education or the New York Times (pitchforkmedia.com for music!)...in short, I don't go to blogs to get a glimpse at Plato's Academy, I like them for the political scoop they provide.

[IA_Seth]

7. I feel ya!

Although its possible to get some well thought-out and detailed information via blogs, it surely isn't a regularity. I tend to hop around to all sort of different sites depending upon my interest of the day, and if I want facts on subjects a blog isn't where I go. I think blogs are best left to discuss opinions and people, and to me, that makes blogs perfect for politics.

[Debi]

4. Uh Oh...

I'm not male, I'm not 43, I don't have a degree and don't make that kind of cash....:scared: Am I supposed to be here??? :shrug:

[blueloo]

5. Whoops

I forgot to preface my generalizations as generalizations.

[Debi]

6. Hehe

:bounce:

So, I can stay???