Pre-Debate Fun: When Does Age Matter?

DrSteveB has a Demographic Tuesdays diary up on the RecList, How Old Are You? (Demographic Tuesdays Returns). I love all of his demographic diaries because they're tools with which I can clarify and add substance to the total experience of Daily Kos.

Sometimes age matters. In the tangible physical world of face to face encounters, the aspect of age usually plays out its role organically. If you see a hot, sexy female and you know she's under 18 your brain responds differently, even if it takes a few seconds. If you hear a sexy voice and turn around to a pot-bellied hairball with a beer can in a paper bag and flies circling his head your brain adjusts immediately.

But what about online? When does age matter for you?  

Here's the data so far in DrSteveB's Poll of 7001 responses:

How old (in years) are you?
10-14
0% 13 votes
15-19
1% 131 votes
20-24
7% 548 votes
25-29
10% 747 votes
30-34
10% 702 votes
35-39
11% 806 votes
40-44
11% 819 votes
45-49
13% 920 votes
50-54
12% 883 votes
55-59
9% 687 votes
60-64
6% 454 votes
65-69
2% 179 votes
70-74
0% 67 votes
75-79
0% 31 votes
80 or older
0% 14 votes

So, what comments provoke you to wonder the age of the poster?

I read a comment with some very curious advice on mortgages and home buying; I was astonished at the level of risk this person advised. So astonished that I recognized immediately a week later when the same commenter revealed being 16 years old. Aha!

Whenever I read an opinion containing the claim held "all my life" I do wonder if that life has been short or long. For instance, if you're shopping for a new car and your 80 year old neighbor advises you to buy a Ford as he's done for nearly a century, doesn't that weigh more than your little brother who says Hummers are his favorites? For similar reasons, I often want to ask online advisers their age. I especially enjoy taking financial advice and prefer learning from others' successes and mistakes.  

My favorite example was a socialist who gave a very good philosophical argument for increasing taxes to pay for 100% college costs for all. Now I have always been interested in further spreading out the cost of college across social and corporate beneficiaries. But in learning that this 26 year old had been in college since s/he was 18 and never held a job. Mmmm, now that just colors the comment for me.

One last example. A commenter advised me that investing in the stock market was an immoral waste of time and specifically 401k accounts and 527 education funds would never be there when I want them. Fortunately, I knew better and more importantly I knew from a previous, unrelated diary, this person is under 30, has over $70k in college tuition debt and $30k in credit card debt. My heart bleeds for this person yet I am  surprised at the willingness to not only give advice but some so contrary to common wisdom. I wondered about other younger readers who may have taken the confidence and surety in this down right bad financial advice to heart....

How about you? Ignore advice from anyone older than 30? Never care? How about some crazy example you've encountered? Or have you wondered about other demographic dimensions to assess the quality of online advice?

•  I say, don't trust restaurant advice from anyone

  ...under 30 or over 70.

  by kck on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 04:23:42 PM PDT

•  Hmm

  So, what comments provoke you to wonder the age of the poster?

  I don't think I can answer that specifically, but I can tell you that I've ignored commenters (or, more frequently, told off commenters) who say things resembling, "When you have to do X, you'll understand."

  For the record, I've seen tons of bad financial advice being given here from people of all ages and backgrounds. I'd take anything I read here with a grain of salt, quite frankly. Without trying to represent everyone this way, but given the fact that there's a certain not-insignificant contingent here who straightforwardly believe that free markets cannot and do not work, all financial advice should be suspect.

  by dennisl on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 04:44:27 PM PDT

  •  OT, dennisl: financial advice

    Interview 3 different financial advisors.

    Invest in your social network of friends and family. Do them favors. That way you can call on them for things money can't buy.

    Learn to live as frugally as possible, just in case you have to.

    Don't spend more than you earn, unless it is a good investment (education, business attire, etc.)

    That's my best financial advice.

    by LNK on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 04:51:52 PM PDT

    •  Wise advice IMHO

      You must be very very old....
      /snark

      I have a friend who breaks the rules and has been a wise and reliable financial wizard since he was an early teen. But he is a rare personality in many ways.

      by kck on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 05:24:47 PM PDT

      •  kck: I am old and worked in banking n/t

        by LNK on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 12:13:39 AM PDT

•  I listen to everybody but

  every since I turned 40 I notice a lot more:

  Gaps in younger people's education/experience.

  Excess baggage in older people's 'furniture of the mind' that is out-of-date.

  Then again, I specialize in separating permanent/transitory.....inescapable realities/fads........

  by LNK on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 04:46:45 PM PDT

  •  Interesting specialty

    In corporate change projects that are of the same core business but radically different than the existing culture it's usually best to bring consultants like you in to get the ball rolling. There needs to be a phase of preserving the legacy knowledge but not from old-timers overly attached to their ways of doing things as they'll corrupt the process, maybe sabotage it. So the consultants can identify the flexible old-timers who also have open minds and can think creatively. To mix metaphors, very important not to throw the baby out with the bath water but you can't make sail with the anchor down.

    by kck on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 05:33:44 PM PDT

    •  One of my specialties...training newbies in

      corporate culture....Finding ways to preserve and transmit best of the old culture at no extra cost. Which styles and symbols to keep, which to ditch.......Identifying the personality types and what they need for getting energies and for little 'islands of tranquility'..........

      by LNK on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 12:17:00 AM PDT