Straighten out SixApart's statistics meme

[altivo]

SixApart has characterized Livejournal as a "community of 18-24 year olds" and we know that's way oversimplified. However, it seems that many older users have not put in their birth year. Help correct this, and let Myspace claim the teenagers.

Go to the profile page and specify your full date of birth, including your year of birth. If you don't want everyone to see how old you are, make sure the box that says "show your birthday to other users" is unchecked. The important thing is to get yourself into the database. Then tell your friends about it, and ask them to do it too.

I suspect that the mode does fall somewhere in the low twenties, but the mean age of LJ users will be higher, perhaps even closer to 30, and the median higher still.

Comments

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

And then, if you like, add the month and day of birth to the bio where it can be seen.

[hrrunka]

Yeah, LJ's using one thing for two or three completely different functions again...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Well, it didn't matter much until someone started examining this specific issue, so we need to pressure them to separate the source for the different functions.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes. That's the problem with the whole setup. Their statistical information, which would interest many of us as aggregated statistics, should have nothing to do with what people are willing to reveal publicly. After all, there can be issues like identify theft with revealing such information to the public. Give away too much, and it gives someone enough to work with.

I've noticed that some people list their birth year, but not the day and month for this reason.

We should submit this as a specific suggestion or request. If enough people sign on, they will probably do it. It can't be that complicated, say, to just add another field for birthdate that is never shown in public but only used for statistics. Collecting just the year for that would be adequate I think.

[dakhun.livejournal.com]

I think that's a good idea...

You should point out that this is actually LJ that's asking us to do this:
http://news.livejournal.com/92448.html

Note: I'm being picky, but the median is probably in between the mode and the mean. It usually is. :-)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You're probably right about the median. To me it means the midpoint of the two extremes, but that isn't really what it is, so I stand corrected.

[chibiabos.livejournal.com]

Mine's been in my profile since I got my account. Only 3 months ago, of course, did I breach the 30 mark.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

And I know lots and lots of LJ users who fall in that group from say 25 to 32, and another good chunk in the 33 to 40 range. The air starts to thin out after that, though, I agree. I may know four who are close to my age, close enough to be in the same group with me at least. I'm confident there are some much older than I am, but probably diminishingly few. That has to do with computer usage and comfort levels more than anything else. Most people my age and above simply do not use computers recreationally.

[lobowolf.livejournal.com]

Hey! SixApart! Some of us are OLD! If we were all 16, this would be MySpace.

[lobowolf.livejournal.com]

Umm, I mean...intellectually and physically mature

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Maybe that's what YOU mean by "old". I mean "older than dirt" though. ;p Because I've been called that enough times I've started to believe it.

LJ says they know that there are a lot more users above the 24 mark than are being counted, and I'm sure that's true. They need to collect age for statistical purposes, separate from the age used for profile purposes.

[lobowolf.livejournal.com]

*grins*

On the serious side, yes, they need to get a clue as to what their audience really is. I've always had my age in my profile, so they should already know how old I am. If they want to know anything more about me, they should just call the NSA, since they probably know more about me than I do :P

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Heh, yes. My younger brother complained years ago that when he went for a high level military security clearance they asked him outright to distance himself from me. He thinks I probably have a dossier that weighs 20 pounds or something. Given the present levels of spying and paranoia, that may be true, but I'm not the only one by far. And most of us have done nothing more treasonous than just voting against the current regime.

[deffox]

Oh I don't know. They can think whatever they want about me. Supposedly they can't read my entries anyway, so I'm simply not part of the statistics.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You're a user, you're a statistic. The issue is how accurate a statistic. ;p

[marzolan.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't help your goal for me to put mine there.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'm only after accuracy, not trying to lie with statistics as it were. So yours belongs there along with all the rest. I do understand that some people don't want to reveal it, and LJ has confounded the issue by using the same field for both statistics and for profile purposes. That should be altered.

[marzolan.livejournal.com]

Indeed.

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

Dearest Rider.

I put my date of birth from the get-go on LiveJournal. January 23, 1949. Yea, I am a bit older than you, old fart Rider dude.

Get over it, we are all as young as we feel, punk. PUNK!

You are a punk and you know it and that is one reason I love you so much and another reason my broad back is always available to you to fly.

Get over it.

Imperator

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I wanna get over it. Your back that is. Was on Taps for a while yesterday, finally got my new PC at work set up with a client so I can do that.

Farrier this morning, but it looks like things are easing up a little at last. Summer. If only the grandchildren mania would let go of my coworkers, then I'd get more breathing space.

Love ya. I'll watch for you now, if the farrier doesn't take all day and then the hay guy decides to bring us a load. ;p

[pioneer11.livejournal.com]

LJ, like FM, has a huge major statistical hump in the teen to
mid twenties area. It also has a hump in the late 30s to 60s
area.

Why?

The teens to mid twenties can get internet access for free from
parents or schools.

Then they work, and cut that expense out.

By your late 30s through the rest of your life, you have accumulated
a real job and some assets that allow you to pay your own way.

Thus the 18/40 dichotomy.

My theory at least.