tainted data

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
What this is about is the RAW data in the FBI files. This has historically been impervious to the manipulation of media and politics. Does not matter who breaks the story or reports the issue. The underlying concern I have is that the FBI data field is now suspect. It generally has been accepted as "clean data", accurate without distortion per viewpoint. Now, there is question as to the integrity of the raw data. Data manipulation in a study is always suspect, but RAW DATA has to be trusted at it's core, or every conclusion from there is suspect.


What I read in the Fox article is that Lott is accusing the FBI of corrupting its data. A significant accusation, yes, but I'm not sure that anything's been proven. The very accuser, in fact, is one who has a clear agenda of his own, so in my humble opinion, the accusation has to be taken with a grain of salt. Perhaps it is true. I don't know.

I'm a card-carrying conservative (yep, I bring my picture ID to the voting station, too!), but I regard Fox as nothing more than a collection of editorials and op-ed pieces conjured up to generate buzz. Some of the reports on Fox clearly are current events (plane crash in France, for example), but I'd say that well over half of the "headline" stories on their front page are not events at all...but the editors playing up a certain angle or opinion likely to be shared by their readers.

In fact, Fox News' headline story at this minute, 12:00 EST on 25 March 2015, says, "Scent of a Scandal?", and it's a story about how the White House florist has quit after some apparent clash with the First Lady over the aesthetics of flower arrangements. This isn't news.

I regard the FBI story as the same, personally.

 

[DavidJones]

Once the "data" creating event has happened, someone has to interpret the data and log it.

Game over.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
I'm lamenting the corruption (or implication) of RAW DATA at a once infallible source. Regardless of who's in power, who did it, who ordered it and who tries to conceal it, it sickens me.

Thus, my comment about the downward slide of the condition of our society.


I feel your pain and understand your point. I came to this realization about science and research numerous years ago. Human nature prevails.

You must have had an exceptional graduate school experience to not have been exposed to this until now. It would be akin to a law student passing the BAR and thinking that everything that occurs in the court room is good and correct. No offense intended at all. I commend your zeal for integrity.

 

[hatt]

Quote:
Guys - this isn't about politics (at least we're not going to discuss that here).
I'm confused. The action is clearly political but you don't want to talk about politics. What else is there to talk about.

 

[SteveSRT8]

^^^Haw! Good one, where do we go from here?

 

[Whitewolf]

I have been reading about what they get up to in the UK to massage the figures, for instance a vehicle theft can be reported instead as 'taken without the owners consent' and grievously bodily harm can be reported instead as a simple assault and so on. This sort of thing is apparently fairly common as the police strive to meet their 'targets' to reduce crime. Therefore even the reported raw data is corrupt in the first place.

 

[R80RS]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd

In fact, Fox News' headline story at this minute, 12:00 EST on 25 March 2015, says, "Scent of a Scandal?", and it's a story about how the White House florist has quit after some apparent clash with the First Lady over the aesthetics of flower arrangements. This isn't news.

I regard the FBI story as the same, personally.


The White House florist story was broken by the Washington Post (no friend of Fox or conservatives), and the WaPo has been playing it for all it's worth, with implied intrigue and a hint of scandal.

 

[dnewton3]

Originally Posted By: hatt
Quote:
Guys - this isn't about politics (at least we're not going to discuss that here).
I'm confused. The action is clearly political but you don't want to talk about politics. What else is there to talk about.



I am addressing the general sense of a lack of integrity from all manner of avenues; science, industry, government, media, etc. It's not unique to politics; hence I see no reason to debate that part of it (which is taboo here anyway). It's pervasive in many arenas now.

It even happens in the neighborhood:
Some time ago, one of my former neighbors was known to be quite the person capable of "exaggeration", shall we say. And not in a good way ... Then one day it came that he needed to report a crime (theft) from his property. No one, including myself, had any ability to faithfully and accurately attest to his condition; he'd told so many lies about the same stuff he couldn't' even keep them straight, and so his claims were worthless because none could be corroborated. There is a BIG difference between "white lies" when you're playfully jesting or embelishing a story for the purpose of grandiose humor, and just distorting information so that your position seems more valid (if at all valid). I have no problem with the former; I abhor the later.


The worst part to me is that we, as a society, are becoming ever more tolerate of the practice; it's almost encouraged in some manner in the way we describe events. We're numb to it because it's common-place. It happens at work, it happens in government, it happens in media, it happens in school ... Can't a person simply have the spine to say "NO - I'm not going to do that, and you shouldn't either, and if you do, I'll tell on you!"



I'm talking about the lack of integrity of information. It bothers me; that's why I posted this thread.

 

[hatt]

Quote:
I am addressing the general sense of a lack of integrity from all manner of avenues; science, industry, government, media, etc. It's not unique to politics; hence I see no reason to debate that part of it (which is taboo here anyway). It's pervasive in many arenas now.


It's always been pervasive. Just look at Edison vs Westinghouse. Hearst vs marijuana. Acid rain. Lies and shenanigans is the rule, not the exception.