This edition of ZIPs contains the explanations for which posts got more views in the view experiment conducted in the 11th edition.
For those who missed that edition, the view experiment involved asking people to play a game in which they had to guess which posts got more views. The purpose was to see if it is true that post info (i.e., title, first words, tags, post time) can affect the view count and also if Kossacks can use the post info to correctly predict which posts get more views.
So, if you missed the 11th edition, you may want to check it out first. Also, you may be interested in the numerical analysis of the results, which was shown in the 12th edition.
On the other hand, if you like, you can skip those prior editions and just read the explanations of the results that follow below the orange doodle-of-many-names.
Zero Impact Posts (ZIPs): June 9-22, 2012
Welcome to the thirteenth edition of "Zero Impact Posts" (ZIPs). If you missed the first edition, you may want to read it in order to learn about the many positive aspects of ZIPs and thus the inspiration for the ZIP series. See the fourth edition for the raison d'etre for the ZIP series. See the tenth edition to learn why the ZIP list is not a failure list.
According to jotter, during the June 9th week and the June 16th week, there were 2573 posts, of which 2486 received recommendations and 1685 had more than 9 commenters.
And according to me, there were only 21 posts that have had no recommendations and no comments so far to date. As many of these posts may have gotten lost in the rapids of the Recent Diary List or perhaps required a niche reader to appreciate them, many of them may have the potential for impact, even great impact. In that spirit, they are presented below.
Remember, it's never too late to recommend a post. In fact, since the series began, some posts are no longer ZIPs, as they have been recommended after having been discovered from the ZIP list.
Rollovers: To see the first few words in a post, rest your cursor momentarily over the post title. To see descriptions of the column headings, rest your cursor momentarily over each heading. In general, wherever you see underlined text, you can rest your cursor over the text for more info.
Explanations for which Posts Got More Views
The following explanations are for the answers given in the guess-which-post-got-more-views game that was presented in the 11th edition.
These explanations were associated with correct guesses and were provided by three fellow Kossacks that took the time to describe why they picked the posts that they picked. Special thanks go to lineatus, le sequoit, and Odysseus for their explanations. (Also, I am including my explanations, even though I have not previously posted them on-line.)
These explanations are snippets of the original explanations, but you can get the complete explanations by clicking on the authors' names in the previous paragraph.
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Author:
LeftOfYou
view |
ID |
post title |
first words |
tags |
ET |
2998 |
1a |
Wind Power Breakthrough |
Electrical engineers all over the country must be slapping themselves in the forehead in a 'Why didn't I think of that?' moment after the announcement of an elegant high-tech fix for a persistent ... |
Energy, engineering, Environment, kosowatt, Recommended, wind farms |
12/27
11:21
Tue |
16 |
1b |
Politicians Are Known By the Company They Keep |
A political maxim widely adhered to is that you dance with the ones that brought you. It's a variation on the old joke that an honest politician is one who stays bought. Hence, politicians' ... |
Congress, Elections, politics |
01/13
23:38
Fri |
Explanations
Post 1a had more views, because: "I care about wind power and energy", "wind power is a hot topic", "it sounds like it will tell you something you don't know".
Post 1b had less views, because: "not necessarily news".
Summary: 1a has news and is about a hot topic, whereas 1b does not appear to have news.
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Author:
james321
view |
ID |
post title |
first words |
tags |
ET |
2915 |
2a |
Aetna CEO: Game Over for Big-Profit Health Insurance |
No, you did not read that incorrectly. The same health insurance executive who sips fine Italian wine in his mountainside hot tub said last week that big-profit health insurance is dying : It’s ... |
2012, Aetna, Affordable Care Act, Barack Obama, Health Care, health insurance, mark bertolini, Medicare For All, Recommended, Single Payer |
02/26
15:27
Sun |
8 |
2b |
Book Suggestion: Development As Freedom, Amartya Sen |
If you want to read a book that will perfectly articulate our world view -- and how the president should be justifying progressive policies (i.e. basic health care for all) -- ... |
Amartya Sen, Book, freedom |
01/15
09:27
Sun |
Explanations
Post 2a had more views, because: "juicy intro, and I would truly like to believe that it's true", "anti-CW [CW=convential wisdom]", "it relates to health care and has a surprising introduction".
Post 2b had less views, because: "dry ... extended version of half the diaries here", "book?", "relates to book that expresses what we already believe".
Summary: 2a has surprising & welcome news and is about a hot topic, whereas 2b sounds academic and does not appear as though it has new info or ideas.
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Author:
Kenneth Thomas
Explanations
Post 3a had more views, because: "mortgage relief is hot, mortgage relief is under-served market".
Post 3b had less views, because: "I do not care about Feedburner", "I would have to know what Feedburner is", "not clear what post is about".
Summary: 3a is about a hot topic that is not often discussed, whereas 3b is about a topic that fewer people know and care about.
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Author:
Doctor Mxyzptlk
view |
ID |
post title |
first words |
tags |
ET |
41 |
4a |
Promises Made, Promises Broken |
Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! That’s all we hear from politicians these days in the run-up to the 2012 election. And we’ll hear a lot more. You may understandably wonder why so little has been done about ... |
AFL-CIO, Democrat, Democratic, Employment, free trade, Labor, manufacturing, media, politics, President, Republicans, small business, SOTU, trade, Unemployment, unions, wages |
02/07
15:10
Tue |
657 |
4b |
The Dirty Truth About American Jobs |
First, the good news! From all appearances the U.S. economy is showing signs of a sustained recovery from the Great Recession of 2008. Unemployment claims are down, the stock market is up, housing ... |
capitalism, Class, class warfare, Congress, corporations, Economic Policy, economics, Economy, elitism, Employment, equality, income, inequality, jobs, living wage, middle class, Offshoring, politics, Recession, Rescued, Unemployment, wages, Wall Street, working class |
01/18
15:00
Wed |
Explanations
Post 4b had more views, because: "title suggests that it's going to tell you something you might not have considered", "people like conspiracy language", "it appears more likely to tell you something you don't know".
Post 4a had fewer views, because: "title not clear what post is exactly about".
Summary: 4b has news and uses language indicating there is some hidden & dark truth, whereas 4a has a title that does not clearly describe what the post is about.
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Author:
Inoljt
view |
ID |
post title |
first words |
tags |
ET |
31 |
5a |
Previewing the Florida Republican Primary |
Newt Gingrich’s thorough pounding in South Carolina has set up Florida as the next important primary. If Gingrich is able to win Florida as well, then Mitt Romney will be in a heap of trouble. At ... |
2012 Florida Republican primary, 2012 presidential election, DK Elections, Elections, Florida, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, politics, red, Republicans |
01/30
10:57
Mon |
628 |
5b |
Why Barack Obama Will Lose the 2012 Presidential Debates |
By: inoljt, http://mypolitikal.com/ The presidential debates are a storied tradition in America’s presidential elections. They tend to be more serious than the often superficial primary ... |
2012 presidential election, Barack Obama, Debates, Democrats, DK Elections, Elections, politics, prediction, Republicans |
01/18
05:12
Wed |
Explanations
Post 5b had more views, because: "a call to arms for the placard waivers", "bold language, anti-CW [cw=convential wisdom]", "controversial".
Post 5a had fewer views, because: "title does not provide enough detail about what the post is about".
Summary: 5b is inciting & surprising & controversial, whereas 1b has a title that does not provide much detail.
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Author:
Global Press Institute
view |
ID |
post title |
first words |
tags |
ET |
12 |
6a |
Zimbabwean Artists Continue Work Despite Extrajudicial Threats |
Zimbabwean artists operate in one of the most politically repressive environments in the world. But despite the monumental challenges, art continues to thrive here as artists say they are determined ... |
art, Bulawayo, community, Culture, Environment, global press institute, International, media, threats, women, Zimbabwe |
02/01
13:17
Wed |
550 |
6b |
Unsafe, Illegal Abortion Persists in Nepal Despite Legalization |
A decade after Nepal legalized abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy, women still report seeking illegal and unsafe abortions. Lack of awareness of the abortion law and stigma drives women to ... |
abortion, community, Culture, Education, gender justice, global press institute, Health Care, illegal, International, Law, media, nepal, reproductive health, women |
02/28
09:54
Tue |
Explanations
Post 6b had more views, because: "abortion is a hot button issue", "abortion is an issue in the news recently and people relate more to repression of women than repression of artists".
Post 6a had fewer views, because: "Zimbabwean? Not a good portent, eye-strain-wise".
Summary: 6b is a hot topic that people relate to, whereas 6a has a title with a long & unfamiliar word.
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Author:
potatohead
view |
ID |
post title |
first words |
tags |
ET |
560 |
7a |
I'm Sorry, We Don't Take Cash... |
This has happened to me TWICE over the weekend, and I'm growing annoyed over it. On most any bill, these words can be found: 'THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE' Really? |
Economy, Health Care, Law |
01/29
20:40
Sun |
23 |
7b |
A happy lark |
Was outside looking at my dust covered back window, and just wrote 'GOBAMA! DEMS 2012!' on it, because it was just fun. Looking around, I saw quite a few empty canvases out there, and well... you ... |
advocacy, fun, Obama |
02/25
14:08
Sat |
Explanations
Post 7a had more views, because: "feeds a long-term narrative of anti-cash", "relates to money and a personal experience".
Post 7b had fewer views, because: "title is not clear what the post is about and topic is in the 'humorous' category".
Summary: 7a is a hot topic & is about money & is about personal experience, whereas 7b has an unclear title and also the topic is in the 'humorous' category.
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Author:
erratic
view |
ID |
post title |
first words |
tags |
ET |
27 |
8a |
On Leadership - Know Your Audience |
This is a first attempt on a community discussion about Leadership, which I personally am finding to be an increasingly relevant topic. I'd like to open this topic up in the DK community, and maybe ... |
community, Leadership, occupy, ows |
01/17
23:24
Tue |
483 |
8b |
Recipe - Family Xmas Tomato Salad |
Maybe it's naive, but everytime I go home, I imagine that maybe by now we're all grown enough to get along. This year, that little fantasy got shredded pretty quickly. Maybe that's good. Whatever. We' |
family, recipe, Rescued, Rescued to Recommended, salad, Xmas |
12/27
23:19
Tue |
Explanations
Post 8b had more views, because: "I can relate to the family story and maybe there's a good recipe", "everybody loves tomatoes", "sounds funny".
Post 8a had fewer views, because: "a community discussion about leadership at 11pm? ... Mid-day maybe", "leadership would probably be exhausting", "nobody cares about diffuse topics like leadership", "academic".
Summary: 8b covers a relatable topic & may have some helpful info & may be funny, whereas 8a is a topic that is general & abstract and is a topic that would not do well at 11pm.
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Author:
brasch
view |
ID |
post title |
first words |
tags |
ET |
9 |
9a |
Fewer Words; Less Filling |
by WALTER BRASCH It was a delightful show. All 37 Shakespearean plays, cleverly and humorously abridged to 97 minutes by the Reduced Shakespeare Co. Short of having a set of Cliff’s Notes or a ... |
book industry, corporate media, editing, journalism, mass communications, Mass Media, Movie Industry, music industry, Readers Digest, reporting, TV industry, USA Today |
02/17
07:12
Fri |
442 |
9b |
Sanctimonious Hypocrites Can’t Diminish the Warmth for Joe Paterno |
by WALTER BRASCH Gov. Tom Corbett (R-Pa.) praised Joe Paterno and ordered flags on all state buildings to fly at half-staff for four ... |
Gov. Tom Corbett, Joe Paterno, Penn State, Penn State Trustees |
01/25
16:24
Wed |
Explanations
Post 9b had more views, because: "there is a pretty good sized community here (Tree Climbers) who would probably click on that one", "PIT scandal is a hot button topic", "relates to politics and sports and is very emotional and is a hot topic".
Post 9a had fewer views, because: "might do okay on a weekend afternoon but not at 7am Friday", "relates to entertainment and the title does not provide much insight into what the post is about".
Summary: 9b is a hot topic, whereas 9a is a topic that would not get much interest on 7am Friday & topic is about entertainment & title is unclear.
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Summary
The posts which get more views are more likely to have one or more of these qualities:
• title ...
• clearly describes what the post is about
• title & first words ...
• indicate an informative post (especially one with news)
• express an unusual viewpoint (e.g., surprising, controversial)
• refer to a personal experience that people can relate to
• topic ...
• is rarely covered
• is one that many people are passionate about
• topic & post time/day ...
• are compatible (i.e., topic would interest people at the time/day of posting)
Of course, this is just my attempt to summarize various opinions of a few people who played the game. Even though they got the answers right (wherever I included their opinion), they may have just gotten lucky. Also, my summary may not perfectly reflect their views.
So, feel free to come up with alternative summaries, but please share with the rest of us, if you do.
Explanations Based on Tags and Time
In the previous section, tags are never mentioned and time is only mentioned for a couple of posts (i.e., 8a, 9b). Yet, several people commented that they changed some of their answers based on tags & time. Specifically, there were 9 answers that were changed based on tags & time, with 6 of the changes being correct.
Part of the reason that tags & time may not have played a big factor is that they were shown in a subsequent section from the section with the post title & first words. Thus, the tags & time may have merely confirmed the initial guesses.
When I looked through the tags, I felt that they confirmed my initial guesses, and so I didn't change any of my answers. My criteria was to look for which post I thought had the greatest number of "followable" tags (i.e., tags that people are likely to follow).
With respect to time, the two explanations given for posts 8a and 9b indicate that the time info may be relevant mainly with respect to the topic. In other words, some times may be better than other times for some topics.
One problem with using tags & time to predict post views is that their effect may not be as intuitive as post title & first words. In other words, even though it's possible that tags & time are important, there may be very few people who have a good idea of which tags & times are best.
Summary
So, this experiment is totally done! It has been designed, conducted, its results gathered and analyzed quantitatively & qualitatively, and the findings published. I may not have learned anything, and indeed, there may not be anything to be learned. But I feel like I may have learned something, which gives me a pleasant "truthiness" buzz. I hope you feel it too!
And because everyone loves games, I can envision additional ZIP editions of a similar kind appearing from time to time. So, stay tuned!
Past editions: Zero Impact Posts