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trumptman
05-16-2006, 06:57 PM
I saw this article today and felt as if I had read this before or perhaps even mentioned it here before.

Cell phones and polls (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060515/ap_on_re_us/polling_predicament)

Justin Globus is part of a fast-growing group — approaching one in 10 Americans — who have given up traditional telephones and depend only on their cell phones. That trend is making pollsters uneasy.

The conclusion of the writer...

Those who only have cell phones are significantly different in many ways — typically younger, less affluent, more likely to be single, and more liberal on many political issues — from those who can be reached by landline, an AP-AOL-Pew survey finds.

So how is this handled?

Landline surveys may minimize the effect of missing cell-only people like Globus through industry-standard statistical adjustments. Results from a random sample typically are weighted to known demographic parameters of the population, like age, race and sex data collected by the

As mentioned previously I knew when I read this today I had heard about this issue before and the first hit under Google News with the parameters "cell phone polls" popped up this link with some interesting assertions of its own.

Newsbusters.org (http://newsbusters.org/node/5390)

Whether you agree with the assertions or not, the links to the several previous stories, all by the same AP writer at least confirm I'm only slightly insane.

Finally here is a link (http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=276) to the poll mentioned in the article.

When I take a look at the poll data itself, I'm not sure I would draw the exact same conclusions as the AP writer.

What is your situation like regarding cell phones? How do you believe the trend of cell phone usage affects telephone polls?

Nick

e1618978
05-16-2006, 07:04 PM
Cellphone and landline, want to keep both.

It is my choice, and isn't that the most likely choice for most people? It isn't one of the poll choices.

thuh Freak
05-16-2006, 07:15 PM
i had both a few months ago (maybe a year or two), and the roommate and i decided to drop the landline infavor of cells. to save money. cells work well enough, except service aint so great in the apartment. i almost prefer the higher cost for a guaranteed call, but money is always an issue.

the two of us are early twenties, and left leaning. closer to the poor side than the gates side of the econ scale.

e1618978
05-16-2006, 07:18 PM
Originally posted by thuh Freak
i had both a few months ago (maybe a year or two), and the roommate and i decided to drop the landline infavor of cells. to save money. cells work well enough, except service aint so great in the apartment. i almost prefer the higher cost for a guaranteed call, but money is always an issue.

the two of us are early twenties, and left leaning. closer to the poor side than the gates side of the econ scale.

Keep those batteries charged, because not being able to make a 911 call could be a pretty bad deal with no landline.

trumptman
05-16-2006, 07:25 PM
Originally posted by e1618978
Cellphone and landline, want to keep both.

It is my choice, and isn't that the most likely choice for most people? It isn't one of the poll choices.

You're right but I can't edit it. Moderator please...

Nick

hardeeharhar
05-16-2006, 07:31 PM
I really have both but I don't answer my landline, nor do I give out it's number...

If I could get DSL without a phone line I would...

BRussell
05-16-2006, 08:35 PM
Never had a cell phone and don't plan on getting one. It's just never been necessary - nor have I ever wanted - to be that easy to call. I barely answer emails and phone messages left on the answering machine. :D

hardeeharhar
05-16-2006, 09:26 PM
Originally posted by BRussell
Never had a cell phone and don't plan on getting one. It's just never been necessary - nor have I ever wanted - to be that easy to call. I barely answer emails and phone messages left on the answering machine. :D

And I rarely answer my cell phone -- it isn't the ease of access that is the cool thing about cell phones... it is the ease of calling people where/when you need to...

Kishan
05-16-2006, 10:43 PM
I think you left VOIP/broadband telephone out of the picture. When I move into my new condo, I plan on having the whole digital cable/broadband/phone combo.

BRussell
05-16-2006, 10:47 PM
Originally posted by hardeeharhar
And I rarely answer my cell phone -- it isn't the ease of access that is the cool thing about cell phones... it is the ease of calling people where/when you need to... I guess I just can't imagine needing to call someone that bad that I can't wait until I'm home or to work or otherwise have access to a regular phone. I'm not saying that's true of everyone, just me.

trick fall
05-17-2006, 01:38 AM
I'm cellphone only at the moment. I might get a landline when I move in a couple of months, but even if I do I won't answer it. I hope this really winds up screwing up the polls. I personally answer most polls and market research when I'm asked, but I always give random wrong answers and I urge others to do the same. Sometimes for fun I will tell the marketer that I am going to give them wrong answers.

thuh Freak
05-17-2006, 12:48 PM
Originally posted by BRussell
I guess I just can't imagine needing to call someone that bad that I can't wait until I'm home or to work or otherwise have access to a regular phone. I'm not saying that's true of everyone, just me.
Well, I'm a bit different. I find it useful well above its price. Going out on the weekend, half the friends at one bar, other half at another. Try one direction, call and see if the other direction is worth the trip. Worth its weight in gold when I've been at an airport without a quarter or credit card, when I needed a ride; thats happened atleast a few times. Plus, I can call my dealer as I walk from the subway to my apt, so he'll meet me pretty much when I arrive. Also neat to have a record of all my recent calls right in my pocket, without having to ask the NSA.

Furthermore, I can skip out of work for beer. I turn on call forwarding for my work number to go to my cell, and drink the afternoon away. The cell, for me, is almost as great as the internet.

audiopollution
05-17-2006, 12:59 PM
Originally posted by trumptman
You're right but I can't edit it. Moderator please...

Nick

I have edited the poll to reflect the missing choice.