BlogAds Survey Results!
Posted by Super G on June 7, 2007 - 10:21am
Topic: Site news
Thanks to the 574 TOD readers who participated in the survey. We now know that your typical TOD reader is a highly-educated, 40 year-old white male who never goes to church. See more here!
(To prevent data overload, I hid results for some of the more inane survey questions. If you're really curious about the drinking habits of TOD readers, I can make those data available too.)
Looks like I'm a "normal" TOD reader!!
Who would have thunk it?
I'm not.
But the "never goes to church" part is right. ;-)
Well
Who needs Church when you can goto TOD on a (Late) Sunday morning, Without shaving and in your dressing gown.
Homer Simpson summed it up for all mankind:
'Aw, I only get two measly days off a week and I have to spend half of one in church!'
Can't get it to load on dial up. Could someone post a summary?
Sure, you're in the 9.6% who use dial-up.
Yeah...that is really freaky.
Pretty much nailed me too!
(I didn't do the survey - sorry, but know you know)
Me too, except for the religion part.
(didn't do the survey).
But think about it - there's a lot of talk about ELP.
Simplify, go local, help each other out, stay out of too much debt.
Who does that describe? The Amish!!
They live like they live because they believe. I am part of a prayer community (Catholic base), and guess what is preached? Well, not the whole ELP spiel, put enough. We help each other out in very practical things too: renovating, moving, family care, FINANCIALLY ...
How the hell are a bunch of atheists going to get together and try changing the world? Don't see it happening, just because everyone only believes what everyone else believes as long as it's convienient.. (Did that make sense?)
AND I only own half a car. (was there a checkbox for that??)
Sharing it with a (atheistic) near neighbor..
Q: "How the hell are a bunch of atheists going to get together and try changing the world?"
A: What do you call this website?!
And that's different from religion how?
Meaning..
I'm here on this site because Peak Oil interests me AS A SUBJECT. Once the subject has changed (might take a few decades), I doubt I'll have much in common with the others in this "community".
I think ("believe" - not "credo") that this (PO) is a real issue. Once the issue is passè (ie no longer convienent), either as an issue or as an interest for my personal situation, then I won't be here any more, just like you won't be here any more.
Again, compare that to a real alternative lifestyle like that of the Amish, who are here to stay..
The Amish lifestyle is not the sustainable dream many believe.
There's a lot of variation, of course, since each community is free to set their own rules. But they are not anti-technology. They just want to remain separate from the "English." So they may have phones, but not in the house. They use propane powered farm equipment and appliances, so they are not connected to the grid (but they are not immune to peak oil, either). Generally, they do not own cars, but they do hire vans to go shopping. Those black garments are often made of polyester. If they get sick, they go to modern doctors and hospitals. They are economically connected with the rest of the world, buying from and selling to the rest of us.
Perhaps most strikingly...they have a lot of kids, and thus are constantly expanding. That is not sustainable.
What the Amish are doing right: they think of the effects technology will have on the community before adopting it. For example, a man may be allowed to own a tractor, if he attaches a horse to it. Why? They fear that a tractor will make a man greedy, encouraging him to buy up his neighbors' lands and forcing them to get tractors, too, to compete. But if a horse has to be hooked to it, the farmer can still only plow so much land in a day.
I think that kind of community orientation is possible without religion. Certainly, religion on its own does not create sustainability. (See mega-churches. So big many have their own public transportation systems.) Why it works for the Amish is that their communities are small. It would work for non-religious small communities, too. (And has. I've posted some stories about hippie communities that have survived and thrived over the past couple of weeks.)
Thank you Leanan for the reply.
I know this thread is probably dead, BUT:
Just wanted to say that I do not think that the Amish have a valid sustainable lifestyle. They only have a consistent ALTERNATIVE lifestyle (my point). It will NOT be the answer to any sort of overshoot.. Their socio-economic fabric, on the other hand, will be strong enough to withstand many peak oils.
I'm not sure I get your punchline.
(the question to a question..)
My question is:
In order to change the world, are atheists going to move together in a "localized" sort of way, which is often proposed on this website, and live closer together in all of its non-anonymous consequenses?
Many of the (atheist) hippies tried doing that in the '70s right? Ok, there were also a number of cult/communies in there too..
The only group that I see consequently living the ELP "doctrine" (smiley) is the Amish..
there are alot of Amish in my area and I eventually will write a story with pictures etc - really a fascinating culture and if the doomers are right then people will be learning some long lost techniques from the Amish. The guy I met was putting in a summer cooler in the side of a hill with some blocks of ice.
On that note however, the child mortality rate is extremely high (almost 50% I am told) Primary reason? Food poisoning, due to poor storage methods...
How the hell are a bunch of religionists who violently disagree going to get together and try changing the world? Sheesh. Your argument is completely backwards.
No.
Your suggestion is misguided, bordering on offensive. Just because someone does not believe a particular story about a supernatural entity or entities does not mean they have no beliefs or morals. There is such a thing, I believe, as common sense - things such as reciprocity (considering how your actions affect others just as they should consider how their actions affect you) are quite natural and need not flow from a desire to fit in or receive reward from a higher authority. I do many things because it's the right thing to do, period, no appeal to higher authority required.
http://coffeeghost.net/2007/05/14/what-one-atheist-believes
"How the hell are a bunch of religionists.."
Well, you're probably right, just because the basic answer from otherworldly religion is, "we're all fried anyway - why bother on tinkering on the details?".
"There is such a thing, I believe, as common sense.."
The only problem is, is that common sense is not very common. Decisions are usually made because of loyalties - and not because it makes sense for the whole of mankind.
"I do many things because it's the right thing to do.."
To whose standards, your own? Refering to "The right thing" is in and of itself calling on a higher authority..
"...does not mean they (atheists) have no beliefs or morals"
No, you're perfectly right. But it does mean that these beliefs and morals are not necessarily those of your fellow man - or of ohter atheist for that matter. Or of the other visiters of TOD. The chances of members of an organized religion to have the same morals and beliefs are, on the other hand, a lot higher.
Your link, your "I believe" list, can hardly be serious. Part of the problem is, I admit, the use of "believe" in the English language. What you really mean is: I feel, I think, I find, My opinion is.. These have nothing to do with belief in anything (credo).
Cheers, Dom
I somehow missed seeing the survey in the first place....
but the funny part is, the only way my participation would have affected the results in the sample size.
I have never seen ANY survey of ANY group I was this "typical" of. I could be the dang poster child.
It's vaguely unsettling to find myself among so many similar people... near as I can recall, it's never happened before. Good thing it doesn't include pictures, if you all looked like me I'd have to assume I was into some kind of quantum parallel-universe situation. I hate when that happens.
What about the UFO question, or was that only on my survey?
I was curious what the Aliens were going to be marketing to us.
Did they really ask about UFOs?
Oh come on!!!!!!!
Please tell me I wasn't the only one that had that Q on the survey?
I'm getting freaked out here!!!!!!!!!!
I don't think I took the survey. I usually don't take surveys, and when I do, I always lie. :)
Hi Leanan,
Well, yes. Specifically, they asked "Do you believe in UFOs?"
Which seemed (IMHO) to be the wrong question.
If one has seen a "UFO", and reported it (for example) - is this a matter of belief?
If one knows someone who has seen a "UFO" and reported it (for example), is this a matter of belief?
If one has looked at the data on website of the "National UFO reporting center" and found it interesting, is this a matter of belief?
If one entertains the notion that UFOs perhaps cover a wide range of phenomena, some of which may one day be explained and/or substantiated and/or validated in some way - is this a matter of belief?
Anyhow, I didn't like the question, but answered it anyway.
Kind of like "peak oil". Only different.
whewwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!
They didn't have my brand of sarcanol either.
Sure, there are UNIDENTIFIED flying objects.
Stuff in the air you have no idea what it is.
Unidentified does not mean extraterrestrial.
Good point.
I believe there is life on other planets.
I believe there are unidentified flying objects.
I don't believe the unidentified flying objects are visits by extraterrestrials.
Super G fascinating stuff.
Most important fact for the eds to get is that no one is listed as working in the energy sector. I find that hard to believe - but if true then there is a message in there somewhere.
Well,
Had Satanist been a slot on the religion question, we could all fit in there Ewan.
It is obviously NOT true, which, to my mind, makes this survey rather suspect.
I noticed that when I filled out the survey. My hunch is that somewher around 1/5th-1/4th of us work in energy, fairly evenly divided between upstream/downstream. Badly designed question, IMHO
We now know that your typical TOD reader is a highly-educated, 40 year-old white male who never goes to church.
LOL! I didn't even take the survey, but I am 40 years-old, white, have a master's degree, and I never go to church. I don't want to be typical! But I don't want to go to church either.
Same here!
Heh. I am a Unitarian, which in some people's eyes isn't really a church...
If you add the Unitarians, the Quakers and the Buddhists to the 'spiritual but not religious' you get about a quarter of the sample who are spiritual but don't dig organised religion. I think this would be highly atypical of any sample group except possibly environmentalists.
You left out native americans.
though many did convert to Christianity, and if you notice they did so pretty quickly, they accepted it (at first) without to much qualm.
there is a reason for that, which I will not go into, but its "sorta" available on the net. Google "he walked the Americas" for an interesting bit of the past. Though I say that with some hesitation, like all things on the net, take all web sites with a grain of salt and try and verify what is said. Lots of "fake" indians.
Will at ProphecyKeepers for one. There is an alert out about him from tribes.
Robert Ghostwolf has past (but people demanded to see the death certificate lol) slippery ol coot.
Many native Americans did go back to the "old" ways, but still keep with aspects of organized religion for many different reasons.
Quid Clarius Astris
Ubi Bene ibi patria
me too. freaky! (and actually RR i would have put you at 33).
The diversity of the survey with political affiliation, religious denomination (atheist being top % among dozens), etc. made this look like a societal wish list (with the male and female % flipped obviously)
re: "(with the male and female % flipped obviously)"
Why, thank you, Nate.
I suggested that for selfish reasons, in that the ratio would be better-less competition..;)
But seriously, male reactions to stress are much more testoserone based and lead to aggressive conflict - so I for one am all for having the majority of national leaders being female.
The diplomatic corps is a different story, as its been shown that women react with distrust at first meeting strangers where men give the benefit of the doubt in a tit-for-tat type of relationship (no pun intended). A tribal bonding thing.
Men only think they want a ratio like that. They couldn't handle the reality. ;-)
Actually, the reverse ain't that great for women, either. I've lived it, being a woman who went to engineering school and still works in a field that's 93% male. It was great for about two weeks. This must be what it's like to be a supermodel. Then it was like, arrrghhhh. Go away and let me study.
"The diversity of the survey with political affiliation, religious denomination (atheist being top % among dozens), etc. made this look like a societal wish list (with the male and female % flipped obviously)"
Wow... I couldn't have said it better, myself!
I bet the group who does these surveys is shaking its head. Who would have thought that a group this big could be so different from the US total?
We are much more educated (40% with a postgraduate degree), less religious (16% attend church at least once a month), and less in standard political parties than the US population. Also 91% male. By profession, the biggest groups are computer professional, researcher, engineer, and educator. The age distribution is pretty well spread - it looks like the 56-65 age group is somewhat over-represented relative to the general population.
'Your attitude has been noticed you know, Noticed'
- Block Warden, Zhivago's Moscow House. David Leans Film...
Why do you think KBR is building all those nice holiday camps?
Hi Mudlogger,
re: "...nice holiday camps?"
Personally, I'm hoping Chimp is going to incorporate group rescue operations in his planning.
Equal numbers of Episcopalians and Baptists. I never thought I'd see the day. But then, with the education (and implied income) numbers as skewed as they are, maybe it's not too surprising.
Drinking habits? I just assumed that everyone here drinks corn ethanol :-).
It stands to reason that we're all aetheists/agnostics, since this is a secular doomsday cult.
And it's scary how completely I fit the profile. I didn't find "The Oil Drum;" It found me.