Here we go again with another Pew Internet Project data memo. These things get such wide spread hype on the web that I feel my voice may go unnoticed.
Still, I couldn't help but observe that the latest telephone poll indicates that 1% of respondents download podcasts daily yet the poll indicates a margin of error of 3.5% of the sample size of 972 adults.So let me get this right... Either nobody or at least 4.5% of all internet users will download a podcast today. Back when I learned statistics, drawing conclusions from sampled data that was within the margin of error was considered invalid. Perhaps I have mistaken the way they posted their error -- please show me I'm wrong if that is the case.
How about this nugget of information; "Some 12% of internet users say they have downloaded a podcast so they can listen to it or view it at a later time." They mean ever. At least once. Not necessarily regularly...That's as statistically significant as asking whether you have ever taken public transit.
Could somebody please start asking the right questions?
How many listen to podcasts each day, week or month? How many listening hours are spent each day or week? How many store and listen later? How many stream?
(c) copyright 2004,2005,2006,2007 by Bradford Gibson. Almost all rights reserved. Citation for journalistic, academic or weblog use is permitted with attribution.
Finally, someone's thinking
Oh Brad, thanks for asking the obvious questions. Or, maybe it's not that obvious since no one else seems to be asking the questions you are.
The Pew survey is confusing at best. It states that:
* Some 12% of internet users say they have downloaded a podcast so they can listen to it or view it at a later time.
* However, just 1% report downloading a podcast on a typical day.
Not sure what's the point of these 2 stats. If I'm using iTunes to listen and subscribe to podcasts, then yes, I would answer that I don't download podcasts. Why? Because I don't go out and click any buttons to download anything. Instead, I open up iTunes, it checks for updates and I listen to the podcasts later on.
Instead, the question Pew should've asked is:
1) Are you listening to podcasts?
2) And are you listening to them everyday?
That would be more accurate.
re: comment by Leesa
Leesa;
I had not even thought about the potential for misunderstanding the use of the term "downloading". If I were to mistake downloading to mean a pro-active event by me (ie: pointing and clicking) rather than a passive activity like plugging in my iPod every night to charge it up and... hello... there's new podcasts on here; well then that makes the Pew questions even more insignificant.
Brad Gibson
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