Alexander Terekhov
2009-10-22 17:48:05 UTC
-----
In general, students who were the most pro-GPL were the
most likely to say they wanted to express their views,
compared to those with moderate or anti-GPL views.
However, in one study the researchers added a twist:
they gave participants fake data which indicated that
other Stanford students held relatively conservative,
anti-GPL views.
When extremely pro-GPL students viewed this data, they
were less likely to say they were willing to discuss
GPL usage with their fellow students.
It is only when they have this sense that they are in
the majority that extremely pro-GPL students are more
willing to express their views on the issue, Morrison
said.
However, students who had more extreme anti-GPL views
were not more likely to want to express their views,
even when they saw the data that suggested a majority
of their fellow students agreed with them.
[...]
People with more extreme pro-GPL views in the community
may be more likely than others to attend publicly
visible protests
http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/rms-ati-protest.html
and display stickers
http://www.zazzle.ca/gnu+stickers
http://shop.fsf.org/product/super-sticker-mega-multi-pack/
espousing their pro-GPL views, because they think the
community supports them.
Everyone else sees these extreme opinions being
expressed on a regular basis and they may eventually
come to believe their community is more pro-GPL than it
actually is, Morrison said.
You have a cycle that feeds on itself: the more you hear
these extremists expressing their opinions, the more you
are going to believe that those extreme beliefs are normal
for your community.
-----
The above is sorta unauthorized derivative work of
http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/majopinion.htm
(Fair use and all that.)
regards,
alexander.
--
http://gng.z505.com/index.htm
(GNG is a derecursive recursive derecursion which pwns GNU since it can
be infinitely looped as GNGNGNGNG...NGNGNG... and can be said backwards
too, whereas GNU cannot.)
In general, students who were the most pro-GPL were the
most likely to say they wanted to express their views,
compared to those with moderate or anti-GPL views.
However, in one study the researchers added a twist:
they gave participants fake data which indicated that
other Stanford students held relatively conservative,
anti-GPL views.
When extremely pro-GPL students viewed this data, they
were less likely to say they were willing to discuss
GPL usage with their fellow students.
It is only when they have this sense that they are in
the majority that extremely pro-GPL students are more
willing to express their views on the issue, Morrison
said.
However, students who had more extreme anti-GPL views
were not more likely to want to express their views,
even when they saw the data that suggested a majority
of their fellow students agreed with them.
[...]
People with more extreme pro-GPL views in the community
may be more likely than others to attend publicly
visible protests
http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/rms-ati-protest.html
and display stickers
http://www.zazzle.ca/gnu+stickers
http://shop.fsf.org/product/super-sticker-mega-multi-pack/
espousing their pro-GPL views, because they think the
community supports them.
Everyone else sees these extreme opinions being
expressed on a regular basis and they may eventually
come to believe their community is more pro-GPL than it
actually is, Morrison said.
You have a cycle that feeds on itself: the more you hear
these extremists expressing their opinions, the more you
are going to believe that those extreme beliefs are normal
for your community.
-----
The above is sorta unauthorized derivative work of
http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/majopinion.htm
(Fair use and all that.)
regards,
alexander.
--
http://gng.z505.com/index.htm
(GNG is a derecursive recursive derecursion which pwns GNU since it can
be infinitely looped as GNGNGNGNG...NGNGNG... and can be said backwards
too, whereas GNU cannot.)