vB Easy Archive - People without landlines are screwing up poll takers!

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People without landlines are screwing up poll takers!
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Posted by: rmoose

This is kind of amusing:
http://www.billingsgazette.com/inde...0-pollsters.inc

Posted by: hdnwbadrs

Good. If polling went away, maybe they would have to again REPORT news instead of generating artificial news.

This is just one more example of how the cell phone tidal wave ( a technological movement) is affecting societal trends. The poll taking problem is not only a political one, but an economic one as well since lots of marketing surveys (to say nothing of telemarketing , that is , sales ) are done over the phone to determine which kinds of products to bring to the public, keep in front of the public, tweak in response to public feedback or abandon altogether.

Posted by: beowulf7

I did hear that landline rejects were giving skewing polls for election predictions. Their theory was that most cell-phone-only users were younger voters who would probably vote Democrat over Republican. Well, apparently their theory was wrong since the elections went pretty much went as predicted by the landline voters.

Posted by: mgmidget72

With the recent purchase of a family share plan, I'm planning on getting rid of the landline pretty soon and using a CellSocket to make calls when I'm home.

Right now though, I'm deciding whether to just drop my old landline number or transfer it to my cell. I get a lot of telemarketing calls and don't want to be charged for all of them. From what this article says, it looks like they can't call the cell. Does anyone know any more about this? How long will it take for them to know that the number has been switched to a cell?

Thanks,
Scott

Posted by: hdnwbadrs

Quote:

Originally posted by beowulf7
I did hear that landline rejects were giving skewing polls for election predictions. Their theory was that most cell-phone-only users were younger voters who would probably vote Democrat over Republican. Well, apparently their theory was wrong since the elections went pretty much went as predicted by the landline voters.

The polls that missed cell phone only voters would miss primarily single voters though not necessarily overwhelmingly young. True, the assumption that younger voters would probably vote Democrat did prove to be false, but not due to them being a large cell phone only group.

It's just a matter of logistics when you are married, it is more practical to have a shared line (landline) also, than having only two non shared (cell) lines. Many married couples tend to keep the cells and add a landline if they had been cell only prior to marriage.

The reason pollsters and pundits were saying the poll results were skewed is because they want to be able to pick and choose what they believe i.e. you only believe the polls that reinforce your bias. This pretty much rings true for both sides in any debate. That's definitely not a slam. It's just human nature to desire affirmation of what you think.

My point was I hope that polls not only continue to be banned from cells, but pretty much go away entirely (my pipe dream) since they are by their nature manipulative and distortions of reality. These polls live and die by a very small margin for error , typically about 3%. If you make a fair % of the population unsampleable, the poll looses it's reliability. If it takes more cell onlys to make this happen, GO CELL ONLYS!

Posted by: beowulf7

Quote:

Originally posted by mgmidget72
With the recent purchase of a family share plan, I'm planning on getting rid of the landline pretty soon and using a CellSocket to make calls when I'm home.

Right now though, I'm deciding whether to just drop my old landline number or transfer it to my cell. I get a lot of telemarketing calls and don't want to be charged for all of them. From what this article says, it looks like they can't call the cell. Does anyone know any more about this? How long will it take for them to know that the number has been switched to a cell?

Thanks,
Scott

Did you enter your ph. # in the National Do Not Call Registry? That, in theory, should help cut down telemarketing calls significantly.

Posted by: beowulf7

Quote:

Originally posted by hdnwbadrs
The polls that missed cell phone only voters would miss primarily single voters though not necessarily overwhelmingly young. True, the assumption that younger voters would probably vote Democrat did prove to be false, but not due to them being a large cell phone only group.

It's just a matter of logistics when you are married, it is more practical to have a shared line (landline) also, than having only two non shared (cell) lines. Many married couples tend to keep the cells and add a landline if they had been cell only prior to marriage.

The reason pollsters and pundits were saying the poll results were skewed is because they want to be able to pick and choose what they believe i.e. you only believe the polls that reinforce your bias. This pretty much rings true for both sides in any debate. That's definitely not a slam. It's just human nature to desire affirmation of what you think.

My point was I hope that polls not only continue to be banned from cells, but pretty much go away entirely (my pipe dream) since they are by their nature manipulative and distortions of reality. These polls live and die by a very small margin for error , typically about 3%. If you make a fair % of the population unsampleable, the poll looses it's reliability. If it takes more cell onlys to make this happen, GO CELL ONLYS!

I see what your'e saying and agree with most of it. I just want to share an example and make a couple quick points.

1.) My sister had a landline and a cell phone #, as did her fiance. They got married and bought a house together and decided to not get a landline. Thus, they don't have a shared # between them, just their own cell phone #s.

2.) As unreliable as polls can be, one has to admit that they make for entertaining reading and discussion.

3.) Yes, I do hope more and more people see the light and drop the landline. Or if they keep the landline, then to at least switch over to VoIP to save a bundle of $.

Posted by: hdnwbadrs

Quote:

Originally posted by beowulf7
I see what your'e saying and agree with most of it. I just want to share an example and make a couple quick points.

1.) My sister had a landline and a cell phone #, as did her fiance. They got married and bought a house together and decided to not get a landline. Thus, they don't have a shared # between them, just their own cell phone #s.

2.) As unreliable as polls can be, one has to admit that they make for entertaining reading and discussion.

3.) Yes, I do hope more and more people see the light and drop the landline. Or if they keep the landline, then to at least switch over to VoIP to save a bundle of $.

Yes, your sister will probably get a landline at some point, in addition to the cells.

My experience may show why. I am married with teens and pre-teens in the house. I have a landline because I will NOT allow my kids friends to call my kids via my cell. Thus a shared household line , a landline.

Get my kids their own cells? Get real. They don't need one until they can pay for it.

But for as many as can go cell only, I say, GO FOR IT!

Posted by: beowulf7

Quote:

Originally posted by hdnwbadrs
Yes, your sister will probably get a landline at some point, in addition to the cells.

My experience may show why. I am married with teens and pre-teens in the house. I have a landline because I will NOT allow my kids friends to call my kids via my cell. Thus a shared household line , a landline.

Get my kids their own cells? Get real. They don't need one until they can pay for it.

But for as many as can go cell only, I say, GO FOR IT!

Well, she got married about 15 months ago and they still don't miss a landline.

But she'll eventually have kids (she said she's still a few years before she's ready for them) and like you said, if/when she does, once the oldest is about 8 or so, s/he'll want a phone. But until then (which would be at least 10 years), I don't see her and her husband yearning for a landline.

And in 10+ years, I can all but guarantee if she gets a landline, it'll be VoIP.

Posted by: Marcster

Quote:

Originally posted by beowulf7
<snip>
And in 10+ years, I can all but guarantee if she gets a landline, it'll be VoIP.

I don't think there will be landlines like we know them today in 10 years!

Look at what is happening to the price of L.D.! I paid (when I had a landline 4.25 cents/min. for in-state/out-of-state calls). Years ago I was paying 20 cents.

Eventually, I think that long distance will be included with landlines. They're going to have to do it to compete with VOIP and people using their Cells as ther only phone.

Posted by: Marcster

For further reading on why I think long distance will be included with landlines:

Buyouts of AT&T, MCI sign of long distance's demise

Posted by: Marcster

Quote:

Scott--

As a fellow Cingular subscriber, you should know that calls shorter than 30 seconds DO NOT count against your minutes at all!

I don't know if the other Cell companies do this, but Cingular does.

So, if you can get rid of the telemarketer quickly, you're in the clear. That National Do Not Call Registry that beowulf7 mentioned wouldn't hurt either.

I dumped my landline ~ have a nice pile of rollover to protect me from going over my minutes and haven't looked back. Less clutter (landline phones and answering machine) around the house.

Also, when you get back from errands or a night out, you don't have to run to check the answering machine.

It took 8 days to port my two landline numbers to become two of my three Cingular numbers (landline-to-cell takes longer than cell-to-cell). There were a few wrinkles/bugs to iron out, but it's great now.

Jump in! The water's fine!

Posted by: beowulf7

Quote:

Originally posted by Marcster
I don't think there will be landlines like we know them today in 10 years!

Look at what is happening to the price of L.D.! I paid (when I had a landline 4.25 cents/min. for in-state/out-of-state calls). Years ago I was paying 20 cents.

Eventually, I think that long distance will be included with landlines. They're going to have to do it to compete with VOIP and people using their Cells as ther only phone.

That's true. In general, the price of long distance calls have decreased nicely. However, this is puzzling. I have Verizon landline service. I used their LD service for a while b/c it had no fees and was moderately priced (I think 10 cents/min.). I rarely used my landline for LD since I have a cell phone.

Then a few months later (which was last fall), they sent me a notice that they were going to have a monthly fee and increase their rates? WTF?! I told them to cancel LD service altogether and I've gone LD-less since then (again, using my cell phone for LD calls).

Then in Jan., I got another generic notice from VZ that they're going to raise LD rates yet again? VZ is basically begging people to dump their LD service in favor of a cell phone or VoIP. I don't know what VZ is thinking.

Posted by: Marcster

Quote:

Originally posted by beowulf7
<snip> I rarely used my landline for LD since I have a cell phone.<snip>

Yeah, I agree. I had LD bills of $5-$10 and that was all incoming toll-free (I have a business) or the occasional outgoing LD fax. We ALWAYS used the cell for outgoing LD!

I still have the toll-free, just rings through to the ported number cell.

Posted by: Marcster

Quote:

Originally posted by beowulf7
<snip>
Then in Jan., I got another generic notice from VZ that they're going to raise LD rates yet again? VZ is basically begging people to dump their LD service in favor of a cell phone or VoIP. I don't know what VZ is thinking.

Verizon may be "happy" to stick it to the "older crowd" who don't have a computer or don't see the need for one of those new-fangled cell phones (no offense to anyone intended - just trying to make a point).

Posted by: beowulf7

Quote:

Originally posted by Marcster
Verizon may be "happy" to stick it to the "older crowd" who don't have a computer or don't see the need for one of those new-fangled cell phones (no offense to anyone intended - just trying to make a point).

I'm afraid you're right. They figure if someone still has LD service through them so far, then VZ can milk them for more $.

I'm glad they did b/c they're giving me more motivation to dump my landline altogether. Now that I ugraded my phone and plan, I'll start doing that and let various businesses know that my ph. # has changed (and give them my cell phone - but at the same time opt out of the credit card marketing crap).

Posted by: Marcster

beowulf7 ~ sounds like you have the right idea.

Now that the porting issues are over with, The Wife even agrees its better.

Some people are freaked out about being able to be reached all of the time (like in the grocery store) --- just turn the phone off or don't answer it.

Posted by: cgd

Oh, boohoo for the poor pollsters!! I saw that article back then and thought it was funny too. One of the great things about being wireless is being free of telemarketing and polling BS. I used to get 10 calls a night sometimes. The Do-Not-Call list helped some, but didn't cut the privacy invaders out entirely.

Posted by: Future Shock999

Couples with children will ALWAYS need a landline, or at least VoIP. What else do you leave for the babysitter to use when you go out on the town???

FS

Posted by: Marcster

Quote:

Originally posted by Future Shock999
Couples with children will ALWAYS need a landline, or at least VoIP. What else do you leave for the babysitter to use when you go out on the town???

FS

Well if the husband and wife each have a phone, they could leave one home with the babysitter.

There, problem solved.

Next?

Posted by: Future Shock999

You trust a babysitter with your mobile minutes?

You don't actually HAVE kids, do you?

:-)

FS

Posted by: Marcster

Quote:

Originally posted by Future Shock999
You trust a babysitter with your mobile minutes?

You don't actually HAVE kids, do you?

:-)

FS

Well, if you can't trust them with your phone... you shouldn't have them watch your kid(s) either!

No, I don't have kids.

Posted by: beowulf7

Quote:

Originally posted by Future Shock999
Couples with children will ALWAYS need a landline, or at least VoIP. What else do you leave for the babysitter to use when you go out on the town???

FS

What babysitters these days do not have a cell phone of their own?

Posted by: Future Shock999

And what happens when you are out and want to check up, but you don't have THAT BABY SITTER'S NUMBER with you? This is really relevant to those of us that have used sitting services in metro areas, where you don't always know who the sitter is on a given night...

Besides, I consider cable TV and free local calls required perks for anyone sitting for my kids...helps ensure they don't go to sleep after the kids are in bed...

FS

Posted by: Marcster

Quote:

Originally posted by Future Shock999
And what happens when you are out and want to check up, but you don't have THAT BABY SITTER'S NUMBER with you? This is really relevant to those of us that have used sitting services in metro areas, where you don't always know who the sitter is on a given night...

Besides, I consider cable TV and free local calls required perks for anyone sitting for my kids...helps ensure they don't go to sleep after the kids are in bed...

FS

Your first point -- Maybe its me, but it isn't too much trouble to program in a number (or you could just write it down...)

And the free local calls -- after 9 pm and on the weekends on most cell phone plans are into the unlimited nights/weekends. If the bedtime for the kids is before 9 pm, you could just sign-up with Cingular and get their 7 pm nights.

That's when you would most likely be using a babysitter -- at night or on a weekend.

Again, I say.... problem solved.