Is this forum unrepresentative?

Use this board for general non-cycling-related chat, or to introduce yourself to the forum.
pete75
Posts: 16370
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by pete75 »

pwa wrote:It would be interesting to get people here to anonymously provide details of their age, sex and ethnicity, and I think we would find that we are not very "representative" even at that basic level. :lol:


Representative of what?
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by Tangled Metal »

Interesting how someone linked cycling as transport and left leaning politics. Imho there's a few other cycling forums that are left leaning. Some are simply populated by people across the spectrum, others come across as to the right. Probably because they're the most active on political threads. I suspect that's why this forum seems more left leaning, those on the left are simply more active and vocal on the forum.

Campaigning groups for improved cycling facilities that I know about locally are actually more populated by right leaning people. As for cycling as a hobby I don't see the link with politics and left or right politics.
pwa
Posts: 17371
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by pwa »

pete75 wrote:
pwa wrote:It would be interesting to get people here to anonymously provide details of their age, sex and ethnicity, and I think we would find that we are not very "representative" even at that basic level. :lol:


Representative of what?

Good question. I was thinking "representative of the UK population", but why should we be? We are too small a group, who unite around a minority activity, to aspire to be representative of any part of society. I don't even think we are representative of cyclists.
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by Oldjohnw »

This group is self selecting from the very start. So in relation to the general population we are likely to be atypical. We are likely to have a "greener" outlook and quite possibly more likely to have a centre/centre left political outlook. Obviously there will be exceptions.
John
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by Tangled Metal »

Oldjohnw wrote:This group is self selecting from the very start. So in relation to the general population we are likely to be atypical. We are likely to have a "greener" outlook and quite possibly more likely to have a centre/centre left political outlook. Obviously there will be exceptions.

<waves from stage right! A lonely place. > :lol:
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by Oldjohnw »

Tangled Metal wrote:
Oldjohnw wrote:This group is self selecting from the very start. So in relation to the general population we are likely to be atypical. We are likely to have a "greener" outlook and quite possibly more likely to have a centre/centre left political outlook. Obviously there will be exceptions.

<waves from stage right! A lonely place. > :lol:


Excellent! We agree that we disagree. Progress:-)
John
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by reohn2 »

Tangled Metal wrote:Interesting how someone linked cycling as transport and left leaning politics. Imho there's a few other cycling forums that are left leaning. Some are simply populated by people across the spectrum, others come across as to the right. Probably because they're the most active on political threads. I suspect that's why this forum seems more left leaning, those on the left are simply more active and vocal on the forum.

Campaigning groups for improved cycling facilities that I know about locally are actually more populated by right leaning people. As for cycling as a hobby I don't see the link with politics and left or right politics.

Define left and right leaning and where the centre is?
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
User avatar
661-Pete
Posts: 10593
Joined: 22 Nov 2012, 8:45pm
Location: Sussex

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by 661-Pete »

Tangled Metal wrote:Campaigning groups for improved cycling facilities that I know about locally are actually more populated by right leaning people. As for cycling as a hobby I don't see the link with politics and left or right politics.
I wonder whether those 'right leaning people' are actually campaigning to "get cyclists off of our roads and onto their 'facilities' "? I.e. leave the roads clear for the motorist who is supreme King of everything and everyone!? Of course I'm not accusing every Conservative voter of being of that persuasion!
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by Tangled Metal »

Oldjohnw wrote:
Tangled Metal wrote:
Oldjohnw wrote:This group is self selecting from the very start. So in relation to the general population we are likely to be atypical. We are likely to have a "greener" outlook and quite possibly more likely to have a centre/centre left political outlook. Obviously there will be exceptions.

<waves from stage right! A lonely place. > :lol:


Excellent! We agree that we disagree. Progress:-)

I've been here with R2 before. It's good to agree even on little things like accepting each other's pov. Not that that's a little thing in the modern internet warrior age. :lol:
pete75
Posts: 16370
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by pete75 »

pwa wrote:
pete75 wrote:
pwa wrote:It would be interesting to get people here to anonymously provide details of their age, sex and ethnicity, and I think we would find that we are not very "representative" even at that basic level. :lol:


Representative of what?

Good question. I was thinking "representative of the UK population", but why should we be? We are too small a group, who unite around a minority activity, to aspire to be representative of any part of society. I don't even think we are representative of cyclists.

Probably the only thing representative of the UK population is the UK population. Certainly a self selecting interest group based on a hobby or pastime can't aspire to be representative of anything. Nor should it try.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by mjr »

Tangled Metal wrote:Campaigning groups for improved cycling facilities that I know about locally are actually more populated by right leaning people.

As I would expect because cycling is transport that embodies personal choice, mobility and freedom from tyranny (of oil barons and mostly of transport system designers) while requiring responsibility and resilience, especially to deal with some of the user-hostile designs we suffer in the UK, and encouraging campaigns for fairer yet less regulated roadscapes. It is truly bizarre to me how many Conservatives justify their car dependency putting them in hock to others and requiring massive public expenditure to support it.

Local campaigns are politically a mixed bag of caring conservatives and green social democrats.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
mattheus
Posts: 5044
Joined: 29 Dec 2008, 12:57pm
Location: Western Europe

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by mattheus »

661-Pete wrote:
Tangled Metal wrote:Campaigning groups for improved cycling facilities that I know about locally are actually more populated by right leaning people. As for cycling as a hobby I don't see the link with politics and left or right politics.
I wonder whether those 'right leaning people' are actually campaigning to "get cyclists off of our roads and onto their 'facilities' "? I.e. leave the roads clear for the motorist who is supreme King of everything and everyone!? Of course I'm not accusing every Conservative voter of being of that persuasion!

That is certainly possible, but I've never met anyone that both:
- complains about riders impeding them on their roads, AND
- is in any way active about campaigns for infrastructure.

They will of course moan about riders who do not use existing infrastructure, no matter how poor!
User avatar
Audax67
Posts: 6001
Joined: 25 Aug 2011, 9:02am
Location: Alsace, France
Contact:

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by Audax67 »

pete75 wrote:
pwa wrote:
pete75 wrote:
Representative of what?

Good question. I was thinking "representative of the UK population", but why should we be? We are too small a group, who unite around a minority activity, to aspire to be representative of any part of society. I don't even think we are representative of cyclists.

Probably the only thing representative of the UK population is the UK population. Certainly a self selecting interest group based on a hobby or pastime can't aspire to be representative of anything. Nor should it try.


Exactly. Complaining about membership bias, or people of a single opinion dominating a thread, is illogical.
Have we got time for another cuppa?
mattheus
Posts: 5044
Joined: 29 Dec 2008, 12:57pm
Location: Western Europe

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by mattheus »

Members need to answer the Q-aire (once a month?). If their views align with an under-represented demographic or politics, then their posts shall be displayed in a bigger font. And vice-versa.

If your Q-aire answers expire, your posts will appear in light grey.
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by Tangled Metal »

661-Pete wrote:
Tangled Metal wrote:Campaigning groups for improved cycling facilities that I know about locally are actually more populated by right leaning people. As for cycling as a hobby I don't see the link with politics and left or right politics.
I wonder whether those 'right leaning people' are actually campaigning to "get cyclists off of our roads and onto their 'facilities' "? I.e. leave the roads clear for the motorist who is supreme King of everything and everyone!? Of course I'm not accusing every Conservative voter of being of that persuasion!

No, they were part of a local network of green activists. They were more centre right than anything. A mix of guardian and DM readers probably reading both. It's just that they're heavily involved in cycling to get around nstead of using their car and reducing waste/ recycling. The cycling campaign group actually had few green party types but they came from the same lobbying groups that do contain green party members.

Either way they certainly weren't about clearing the roads for car use but they were Tory in outlook. However, the libdem were a big influence in the area and a lot of right leaning people were voting libdem purely because of who their candidate was. Personality over party loyalties. I've got family who voted against their political outlook because of who was the other party's candidate.
Post Reply