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Internet Graphics - Facts behind the Memes

Started by mongers, April 27, 2014, 10:11:35 AM

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mongers

Several times a week I come across an interesting graphical presentation of some 'facts' on the interwebs, like this one today that was posted on Twitter:



But despite searching for the hashtags and looking on the company's website, I don't seem to find any statistics or facts linked to it that I can check. 

So do I accept this at face value or do I think the worse and assume the originators are hiding details because they fudged the facts, to make the graphic more appealing ?


My question is sources on the internet do you accept at face value and what others do you find useful, but of which you have to do some checking to verify what's being presented to you.   
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

The Brain

Women want me. Men want to be with me.

Iormlund

Perhaps the microwave has a grill setting.

Habbaku

The medievals were only too right in taking nolo episcopari as the best reason a man could give to others for making him a bishop. Give me a king whose chief interest in life is stamps, railways, or race-horses; and who has the power to sack his Vizier (or whatever you care to call him) if he does not like the cut of his trousers.

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Admiral Yi

Quote from: mongers on April 27, 2014, 10:11:35 AM
So do I accept this at face value or do I think the worse and assume the originators are hiding details because they fudged the facts, to make the graphic more appealing ?

You discount it marginally because no one has an ulterior motive to lie about this particular set of  facts.

PDH

I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth.
-Umberto Eco

-------
"I'm pretty sure my level of depression has nothing to do with how much of a fucking asshole you are."

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mongers

#6
Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 27, 2014, 10:38:47 AM
Quote from: mongers on April 27, 2014, 10:11:35 AM
So do I accept this at face value or do I think the worse and assume the originators are hiding details because they fudged the facts, to make the graphic more appealing ?

You discount it marginally because no one has an ulterior motive to lie about this particular set of  facts.

Of the top of my head, what about the whole 'profligate,wasteful West/America, consuming far more than poor africans' ?


Back of the envelope calculations* suggest some of these are plausable, but would it have killed them to put their assumptions/methodology in a 'footnote'



*The laptop one seems reasonable, I've a small laptop, used a lot come in at around 35-40 kWh for a year.
A router consuming 10 watt left on 24/7 would produce that amount.
Don't know about the coffee machine, maybe an office or home perculator left on all the time or just all day ?
The microwave seems high, if it's just modest domestic use.
The fridge seems high, but maybe it's a large one or even what we call over here 'American style' so then it could be right.

"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

Admiral Yi

Quote from: mongers on April 27, 2014, 10:57:18 AM
Of the top of my head, what about the whole 'profligate,wasteful West/America, consuming farF more than poor africans' ?

For one thing, the West is not directly mentioned.   For another, high  energy consumption in the West is already well documented, and  not terribly controversial.

mongers

Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 27, 2014, 11:09:21 AM
Quote from: mongers on April 27, 2014, 10:57:18 AM
Of the top of my head, what about the whole 'profligate,wasteful West/America, consuming farF more than poor africans' ?

For one thing, the West is not directly mentioned.   For another, high  energy consumption in the West is already well documented, and  not terribly controversial.

I'm glad I got you into a position, that you'd might not normally argue on Langish; Yi says 'West is consuming the planet and is evil'    :P
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"


mongers

"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

grumbler

The future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain.   -G'Kar

Bayraktar!

mongers

Quote from: grumbler on April 27, 2014, 11:47:35 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 27, 2014, 11:38:28 AM
:mellow:
Strawman:  165 kWh

I estimate that would equate to a 40kg strawman, is that too modest a size for a typical Languish construction ?

I'll let you judge.  :P
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

LaCroix

Quote from: mongers on April 27, 2014, 10:11:35 AMMy question is sources on the internet do you accept at face value and what others do you find useful, but of which you have to do some checking to verify what's being presented to you.

any article that relates to (a) law in any material way. usually there's some bullshit attached

mongers

Quote from: LaCroix on April 27, 2014, 11:55:59 AM
Quote from: mongers on April 27, 2014, 10:11:35 AMMy question is sources on the internet do you accept at face value and what others do you find useful, but of which you have to do some checking to verify what's being presented to you.

any article that relates to (a) law in any material way. usually there's some bullshit attached

FYP.
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"