Comments on: Minding the trend: Bain Capital http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/07/minding-the-trend-bain-capital/ Sun, 19 May 2013 05:24:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Razib Khan http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/07/minding-the-trend-bain-capital/#comment-44122 Razib Khan Mon, 16 Jul 2012 20:29:01 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/?p=17352#comment-44122 <i> And if you want to write about Bain and Trends doesn’t show a blip, you can always fall back on the “my ear to the ground that has heard that…” mode.</i> bullshit move. And if you want to write about Bain and Trends doesn’t show a blip, you can always fall back on the “my ear to the ground that has heard that…” mode.

bullshit move.

]]> By: David http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/07/minding-the-trend-bain-capital/#comment-44121 David Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:38:52 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/?p=17352#comment-44121 Fashion trends and political trends seem like different reporting. For political trends, we have a lot of (occasionally) savvy people who conduct polls. Though imperfect, these are informative. There is no analogue of polls to confirm stories like "US hipsters are proud of their pot bellies" or "Lots of rural youths are chugging cough medicine!" The intention of these stories is not to soberly inform, but to shock, provoke, stimulate and generate page clicks. And I wouldn't give much credit for the Google Trends move, because that's just another easy, 10th grade move available to you. Gee, a guy looked at Google Trends and wrote an article about what he saw there, accompanied by speculation! In 10th grade reporting, that's hardly an A! And if you want to write about Bain and Trends doesn't show a blip, you can always fall back on the "my ear to the ground that has heard that..." mode. Fashion trends and political trends seem like different reporting. For political trends, we have a lot of (occasionally) savvy people who conduct polls. Though imperfect, these are informative. There is no analogue of polls to confirm stories like “US hipsters are proud of their pot bellies” or “Lots of rural youths are chugging cough medicine!” The intention of these stories is not to soberly inform, but to shock, provoke, stimulate and generate page clicks. And I wouldn’t give much credit for the Google Trends move, because that’s just another easy, 10th grade move available to you. Gee, a guy looked at Google Trends and wrote an article about what he saw there, accompanied by speculation! In 10th grade reporting, that’s hardly an A! And if you want to write about Bain and Trends doesn’t show a blip, you can always fall back on the “my ear to the ground that has heard that…” mode.

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