[Air-l] check before you write

[Alex Halavais]

For an entirely research-free take on a journalistic take on the article:

http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/archives/2006/06/post_3.html

(BTW, I think the next AoIR T-shirts should read "R is for Research,
that's good enough for me.")

- Alex "R" Halavais

On 6/27/06, Barry Wellman <wellman at chass.utoronto.ca> wrote:
> I am saddened by Mark Bell's note to this list:
>
> Mark Bell wrote:
> > interesting study....sort of. I doubt it even mentions online social
> > relationships or concurrent online/rl relationships. It almost sounds to me
> > to be from some pro-nuclear family agenda (he golden days in the 50's when we
> > had the Murphy's over to play cards and we actually talked). For instance
> > how many of you would i be contacting in the 80's? I feel more connected
> > than ever to people. But then I'm a nerd =)
> >
> > Anyone have a copy of the real study?
> >
> There is a link on the Washington Post website to the ASR article.
> And also at the asanet.org (front page)
> Plus of course the article is in the print and online version of the
> journal, American Sociological Review, June 2006.
> (All of which was stated in my original post about it.)
>
> Why am I saddened:
>
> 1. Not every piece of research has to be about online relationships. This
> one asked who people discuss important matters with -- no more and no
> less. It didn't specify whether it is online or offline.
>
> 2. Asking that question is legitimate. It is not a pro-nuclear family
> agenda. And as my note said, it is from the gold-standard US General
> Social Survey, which is vetted by serious scholars, and exactly replicates
> a 1985 survey question. In addition, as 2 minutes with scholar.google
> would have shown, these are serious, respected scholars with a long track
> record.
>
> 3. Now, as I have said before, I have problems with the social isolation
> spin that the news media put on the article, but trashing it without
> reading it is silly -- especially on a list dedicated to Research --
> that's the "R" in AOIR -- and long may it stay there and not become the
> AOIB.
>
>  Barry
>  _____________________________________________________________________
>
>   Barry Wellman         Professor of Sociology        NetLab Director
>   wellman at chass.utoronto.ca  http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman
>
>   Centre for Urban & Community Studies          University of Toronto
>   455 Spadina Avenue    Toronto Canada M5S 2G8    fax:+1-416-978-7162
>
>   You're invited to visit -- and contribute to -- my new fun website
>  "Updating Cybertimes: It's Time to Bring Our Culture into Cyberspace"
>              http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php
>  _____________________________________________________________________
>
>
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