Texting gets a tabloid flavor

From time to time, basically every day, I get emails from various PR groups promoting this party, that gadget, or a request to place ads for some insanely high interest loan company (which I will never allow as I disagree with the business model of such companies). But occasionally I get something that perks my interest and makes me take a second look.

So I checked out Predicto, owned by NextWeb Media. This purports to be an mobile text survey system. I don’t care what they charge or the free gifts they claim to provide to winners of contests they run. So don’t ask me if any of that is real or useful.

But what I did want to look at were a couple of the claims they made. It seems that their subscribers vote on various question posted each day. This is supposed to reflect the opinion of the nation. Whether it does or not I cannot say. But the questions intrigued me.

Top surveys as of this moment:

If Johnny Depp will get married to long-time girlfriend by April 25th – 61% yes

If Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez will announce a divorce by Feb 25th – 57% yes

Will President Obama add an indoor basketball court to the White House – 52% no

Will Eddie Murphy be the next Riddler in the Batman Begins series of films – 70% yes

Honestly, does anybody really do this? Is there anyone who is so without purpose that they spend their day just texting in responses to polls on their phone?

Look I am not against polls. Nor am I saying that mindless trivia is without merit (well maybe a little). But I really have to ask why anyone cares about the lovelife and/or marital problems of Depp, Lopez, and/or Anthony? Even if you are right, what does it change? This is just mostly interactive tabloid trash. As a friend once told me

“It’s the worst form of mental masturbation.”

Why am I speaking on it then? Because I discuss movies, and the question on Eddie Murphy looked like it could be relevant. But I was wrong. The poll had no facts, and would not even provide the number of people that voted. It could be 10 or 100 or 1 billion. The votes might even be by 1 person a dozen times. So it’s a useless poll.

But mostly, anything that engages in tabloid fodder – exhibiting paparazzi pictures that are clear violations of privacy, anything interfering with the children of entertainers and celebrities, attempts to invade the marriage or sex lives of anyone, ect – is something that I feel is unworthy of reading. In general I feel disgusted by it.

You may disagree. You may want to know what Joe Bob in Montana and Daisy Sue in Kansas think about some aspect of unimportant issues of a celebrity they have never seen. I really don’t care. You may want to invade the privacy of entertainers. I do not.

So for me Predicto is a unique gimmick meant to up-sell various products. Nothing more. I don’t recommend it to my readers. But you can make the choice for yourself.

President Obama? Your poll results say yes - 1.5.2008.1

I’ve been reflecting on the win by Mike Huckabee and Senator Obama. The amazement by virtually all the pundits is massive. They are all shocked by the result. Not a single poll gave any indication of the result. Except mine.

Many have seen, and some have voted on my polls found at Black Entertainment USA, Vass, and my corporate site (www.vassconsult.com). I have reported regularly since the inception of the polls in early 2007, on the status of the voting. And in every month since April, Senator Obama has been in the lead.

Now there is no question that success is cumulative. There is no question that rather tan going week by week my results shows a long term trend. But not a single other poll I am aware of (by the major media and institutions) extends more than a week.

That’s where they missed the real trend. Not that my polls are perfect. To be fair, my poll projected Senator John McCain as a winner by a landslide over the other candidates. That still may be true, but so far that is not the indication out there. At least if you listen to the pundits.

Now another thing is interesting. According to my poll, Senator Obama wins outright against any other candidate. The next closest is Senator Clinton with 1/3 the votes of Senator Obama. Is this the real trend and the result we will see this year?

It’s a big question. And the fact that my sites focus on issues and events from a Black African American Hispanic perspective may give some pause about the results. Then again, I am a Black Puerto Rican, and there is no difference when writers that are Asian, African, Latino, or White create posts and articles. The world is always framed from the perspective of the person viewing it.

In addition, anyone who thinks that my blogs reach only African Americans gives far too little credit to the internet and my readers. That’s like saying the internet is only a tool that 20-something’s use. Hogwash.

The fact is that my visitors come from all walks of life. Rich and poor, college educations and not. White, Black, Hispanic/Latino, and everyone else. The issues and thoughts here are not just one-sided, nor are those that are interested in them.

So I defend my poll. I believe that all types of Americans are represented. And if I am as correct as I believe, then America better get prepared. My poll may be small right now, but if it’s as accurate as it seems so far, we will have a real Black President come 2009.

** Oh, just so everyone knows. Once the Primaries are done, I will be placing a new poll on the sites. That will reflect the actual Democratic and Republican candidates.

In addition expect to see other questions of interest and requests of your opinions for change on the various Blogs and sites of M V Consulting, Inc.

Your opinion is vital to me. Let me know.