TobyBartels comments on Self-fulfilling correlations - Less Wrong
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Comments (47)
Good point! A nitpick:
I don't think that this is a good counterexample. If people who want to avoid malicious websites tend to believe that IE is safer from them and thus choose IE, then IE should get better results (ceteris paribus) since people who care about malicious websites are also more likely to take care to type
paypal.comdirectly into the address bar, etc.In other words, one's attitude to safety from malicious websites has as much effect on infection rates as one's attitude to safety from car crashes has effect on crash rates. (Or more, I would guess offhand.)
Am I missing something?
Or they believe using IE makes them safer and don't bother doing anything else. Or even take more risks otherwise because they feel safer because of IE. Feeling safer can make you less safe. Or have other unintended effects. And "beliefs" are usually based on emotion rather than thought.
Certainly, it can go either way. (Same with the Volvos.)
No; you're right. Oops. But it's too late for me to fix it tonight.