How old is our gaming population of EN World?

[Umbran]

Besides, the narrow bands at low ages and broad bands at higher ages are a classic way of lying with statistics.

Sometiems it is a lie, sometimes it is a tool. Whether or not you're lying depends on what, exactly you are trying to do,and what you say.

With that - if you group together everyone from 19 to 25, you get numbers rather comparable to the 26 to 30 range, rather than a sharp dropoff. So, it isn't as bad as we might think at first.

 

[Mark]

Nothing so sinister as lying...

When I first created the poll a couple of years ago, we had just gotten the new software for this incarnation of the boards. At the time I had thought that 10 was the limit of the number of options for a poll. I spread things out as much as I could while still trying to encompass all groups. I definitely wanted a cut off at the standard USA driving, voting and drinking ages (if only to have some milestone marks to hit that might feel familiar), divided the lower ones into a couple of groups (based that partly on an older age poll and knowing the youngest member on the boards at that time seemed to be Chriskabala at 13), split the higher ones (more or less) along the lines of editions (similar to what Knightcrawler suggests), peeled off a high limit to offset the low limit (and figuring Col_Pladoh was likely the oldest at that time), and that's about it.

Some of you folks are simply reading way too much into it...

 

[Epametheus]

On most internet message boards, being 22 makes me one of the fossils.

Here, I'm one of the kids

 

[Agback]

No, please don't. I'm turning 30 tomorrow (January 5th), and that's hard enough as it is. At least I'm in the "26 to 30" range now and tomorrow.

Happy birthday. (it is the 5th, here).

And don't sweat it. Life starts at thirty.

Regards,


Agback

 

[Agback]

Nothing so sinister as lying...

I'm sorry, I didn't mean that as an accusation. I only meant to point out that the apparent structure in the graph is largely an artifact of pesentation, not part of the data. The phenomenon is well-known enough to have appeared in the classic "How to Lie with Statistics".

Apologies,


Agback

 

[Agback]

On most internet message boards, being 22 makes me one of the fossils. Here, I'm one of the kids

Interesting. Do you frequent boards dedicated to specifically youthful interests, or a representative sample?

Regards,


Agback

 

[Agback]

With that - if you group together everyone from 19 to 25, you get numbers rather comparable to the 26 to 30 range, rather than a sharp dropoff. So, it isn't as bad as we might think at first.

If we divide the number of votes in each age band by the number of years in that age-band, to show us approximately how thickthe returns are as a function of age, the results look like this:

AGE _ _ votes per year of age included

00 - 13 00.1
14 - 15 04.5
16 - 18 13.3
19 - 21 20.0
22 - 25 21.5
26 - 30 28.6
31 - 39 21.0
40 - 49 03.1
50 - 59 00.2
60+ undefined

The true peak in those results is in the 26-30 band, but the distribution is fairly even from the age where people get InterNet connections through college and work up to the late thirties.

Don't panic.

Regards,


Agback

 

[Buttercup]

Another gaming "senior citizen" here at the ripe old age of 41. In another 30 or so years I'll open the "Defenders of the Daybreak Nursing Home" to game alongside Kriskrafts, Piratecat and KidCthulhu. I'm already a licensed Nursing Home Administrator in Massachusetts, a Defenders player is an M.D. to serve as the Medical Director, and P.C. is a sleep consultant who can figure the correct ratio of sleep to gaming time for each resident, so I figure we're well on our way. Anybody want to sign up for a room?

You know me and my hubby will be there with you. Although, we may get there a few years ahead of you.

 

[Buttercup]

Life starts at thirty.

Ain't it the truth.

 

[Mark]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean that as an accusation. I only meant to point out that the apparent structure in the graph is largely an artifact of pesentation, not part of the data. The phenomenon is well-known enough to have appeared in the classic "How to Lie with Statistics".

Apologies,


Agback

No problem. Perhaps next time around we could do one with a one-to-one ratio. Put it on your calendar for just before Gencon. There's always a big flurry of activity around then between the conventions and the ENnies and all. I'll leave it up to you but drop me an email as a heads up when you're ready to do it, eh?


(btw, Life begins today... )