It's a toss-up

[andrewducker]

So, flashing back briefly, to take into account the goldfish-like memory of you swimmers in the glass bowl of the internet, I posted this two days ago, saying that according to recent research people thought they were right pretty much all the damn time, but were in fact right as often as you'd expect if you tossed a coin in the air.  I then apologised for not being clearer in my dealings with people, both reading and writing, and for both jumping to conclusions and being unclear.

You lot then proceeded to argue over whether or not I was being genuine; which, considering the prime cause of the post, amused me no end.  So I posted a poll, expecting it to show something useful.  Which it did, just not what I was expecting.

55% of you think I was serious, 45% think I was taking the piss.  So far, so absolutely as the article says - overall you might a well be tossing a coin in the air.  And reading the reasonings behind your choices they vary between people who seem 90% sure of their opinions and those who are much more upfront about the fact that they really can't tell but it just feels one way or the other.

Well - that's all fair enough, but how about if we narrow it down.  I mean, a fair chunk of you haven't met me - or have met me for a couple of hours at a con somewhere, so you can't really be expected to be that accurate.  If we just look at people I've spent time hanging around with surely they'll be more accurate.  So, going with my own biased opinions of who counts and who doesn't, we get _slightly_ better results, with 65% of you saying yes, and 35% of you saying no.  Which could just be because my friends take me more seriously than the rest of you lot.

Or it could be because they know me better.

Because I did mean it.  I was completely serious with all of it - except that I couldn't resist adding the "I hope you can all forgive me." on the end.  Because as much as I mean something totally, I still can't quite bring myself not to wink in an arch fashion at the end.  Which is possibly _why_ people have so many problems taking me seriously, but that's another discussion, for a different post.

Comments

[spaj.livejournal.com]

Spaj - "Andy is THAT caring, but it's also a test, to see if 50% of people misunderstand."

Do I win a prize? Since I was exactly right???

Adam

[andrewducker]

It wasn't actually a test - when I wrote it, I had no idea that people wouldn't take it seriously - I was just being a little silly at the end.

[darkoshi]

Ah. I was right then. Including being made uncertain by the silly part at the end.

But I was thinking this morning, part of the reason I thought you were serious was that I assumed that you, being such a swell person, and whose viewpoints usually aren't too far off from mine, would have a similar viewpoint to me on the article. Which doesn't seem such a good thing to do, to assume things like that, in general.

[avatar.livejournal.com]

Huh? No way, you're were being sarcastic!

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

It was the "I hope you can all forgive me." bit that I knew you were taking the piss about.

[thishardenedarm.livejournal.com]

the only thing i'm unsure about is the Alanis Morissette. Really?

[andrewducker]

Yup. I'm a big fan of her second, wilfully difficult, album.

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/a/alanis-morissette/5490.html for the lyrics to that track, which might amuse you.

[marrog.livejournal.com]

See, I quite like that album too, but most people seem to think it's wank. I think it was a grower.

[andrewducker]

That was how I felt - it was difficult to get into, and that just made it work better for me when I managed it.

Bit like listening to Mr Bungle.

[andrewducker]

Although, in fact, these remind me of you more:
http://www.absolutelyrics.com/lyrics/view/alanis_morissette/front_row/

[spaj.livejournal.com]

it really wasn't ironic thou