Comments on: The behavioral economics of data consumption http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/10/the-behavioral-economics-of-data-consumption/ A slice of lime in the soda Thu, 23 May 2013 02:25:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: SelenesMom http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/10/the-behavioral-economics-of-data-consumption/comment-page-1/#comment-9851 SelenesMom Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:50:39 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/10/the-behavioral-economics-of-data-consumption/#comment-9851 Way OT -- Felix, the new pic makes you look like the long-lost triplet Proclaimer. Presumably, the one who refused to walk 500 miles. Way OT — Felix, the new pic makes you look like the long-lost triplet Proclaimer. Presumably, the one who refused to walk 500 miles.

]]> By: SelenesMom http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/10/the-behavioral-economics-of-data-consumption/comment-page-1/#comment-9850 SelenesMom Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:45:05 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/10/the-behavioral-economics-of-data-consumption/#comment-9850 I agree with spectre855 above. Felix, if my memory has not become total Swiss cheese, you have mentioned on this blog that that NYC apartment of yours is somewhere south of East 14th, which means it could easily have steam heat and your water bills (same water goes to make heat as to deliver hot water) may be included in your rent or whatever payments (I don't want to presume, it has been a while since I lived in the Alphabet or New York at all. Plus since Tompkins Square Park has reportedly turned into a dog run, maybe the projects at Avenue D and Houston are now sustainable condos with green roofs and a Waldorf day care on the ground floor). However, in most places in the US, single-family homes usually receive metered water bills every month or two. If you see your bill jump ridiculously, you figure the toilet(s) is (are) leaking, and you either get the plumber in or try to fix this yourself by sticking your arm in the tank. If this fails, you get someone to find the leak, which by now may be in a wall or under the lawn or something. But yeah, definitely, it means I have a leak. That said, our local alternative weekly publishes an annual list of the top 10 water users in our metro area, and while several always yell, "Oh no, I must have a leak!" there is always also some prince who says, "Well, we have an awful lot of plants, and there is a dry season of three months here west of the Cascades. Besides, we pay for it." I agree with spectre855 above. Felix, if my memory has not become total Swiss cheese, you have mentioned on this blog that that NYC apartment of yours is somewhere south of East 14th, which means it could easily have steam heat and your water bills (same water goes to make heat as to deliver hot water) may be included in your rent or whatever payments (I don’t want to presume, it has been a while since I lived in the Alphabet or New York at all. Plus since Tompkins Square Park has reportedly turned into a dog run, maybe the projects at Avenue D and Houston are now sustainable condos with green roofs and a Waldorf day care on the ground floor).

However, in most places in the US, single-family homes usually receive metered water bills every month or two. If you see your bill jump ridiculously, you figure the toilet(s) is (are) leaking, and you either get the plumber in or try to fix this yourself by sticking your arm in the tank. If this fails, you get someone to find the leak, which by now may be in a wall or under the lawn or something. But yeah, definitely, it means I have a leak.

That said, our local alternative weekly publishes an annual list of the top 10 water users in our metro area, and while several always yell, “Oh no, I must have a leak!” there is always also some prince who says, “Well, we have an awful lot of plants, and there is a dry season of three months here west of the Cascades. Besides, we pay for it.”

]]> By: dWj http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/10/the-behavioral-economics-of-data-consumption/comment-page-1/#comment-9832 dWj Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:24:53 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/10/the-behavioral-economics-of-data-consumption/#comment-9832 There was an experiment in England, I believe, in which energy consumers were told, on their bills, how much energy their average neighbors used, and a lot of consumers moved toward the mean -- low consumers started using more, while heavy consumers cut back. When they started putting smiley faces (no kidding) next to the comparison for households using less than the average, their use went down. Humans are social animals, and social proof -- taking cues from others about appropriate behavior, and desiring to conform -- is often a strong influence. There was an experiment in England, I believe, in which energy consumers were told, on their bills, how much energy their average neighbors used, and a lot of consumers moved toward the mean — low consumers started using more, while heavy consumers cut back. When they started putting smiley faces (no kidding) next to the comparison for households using less than the average, their use went down.

Humans are social animals, and social proof — taking cues from others about appropriate behavior, and desiring to conform — is often a strong influence.

]]> By: magicc http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/10/the-behavioral-economics-of-data-consumption/comment-page-1/#comment-9829 magicc Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:47:25 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/10/the-behavioral-economics-of-data-consumption/#comment-9829 I suspect tethering is a factor here. http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/chris-dannen/techwatch/simple-secret-iphone-tethering-fix AT&T's previous comments with respect to the top 3% indicate these aren't simply people who watch a lot of YouTube. These are another class of user. Assuming these are users who have made their iPhone into a primary internet connection via 3G tethering to their laptops, the behavioral economics make perfect sense. A nudge, indicating that AT&T is wise to their off-label use of the network, might be all it takes to get most of these tethered users to pull back their data usage to more normal levels, in hopes of maintaining the tolerance (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2349349,00.asp) henceforth shown. I suspect tethering is a factor here. http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/chris-da nnen/techwatch/simple-secret-iphone-teth ering-fix AT&T’s previous comments with respect to the top 3% indicate these aren’t simply people who watch a lot of YouTube. These are another class of user. Assuming these are users who have made their iPhone into a primary internet connection via 3G tethering to their laptops, the behavioral economics make perfect sense. A nudge, indicating that AT&T is wise to their off-label use of the network, might be all it takes to get most of these tethered users to pull back their data usage to more normal levels, in hopes of maintaining the tolerance (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,23 49349,00.asp) henceforth shown.

]]> By: runsvoldmd http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/10/the-behavioral-economics-of-data-consumption/comment-page-1/#comment-9827 runsvoldmd Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:28:10 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/10/the-behavioral-economics-of-data-consumption/#comment-9827 My guess is that people are also simply shamed into reducing their usage by the appearance of excess. Probably a name for that psychological phenomenon, but I don't know what it is. My guess is that people are also simply shamed into reducing their usage by the appearance of excess. Probably a name for that psychological phenomenon, but I don’t know what it is.

]]> By: spectre855 http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/10/the-behavioral-economics-of-data-consumption/comment-page-1/#comment-9825 spectre855 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:10:37 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/10/the-behavioral-economics-of-data-consumption/#comment-9825 One possible reason is that the person may not have realized that they downloaded an app/virus/bug that may inadvertently be using a large chunk of their bandwidth. That consumption would degrade performance for the user and fixing the problem would improve their experience with the device. The same could probably be said for electricity. If you find out that you're using a huge amount of electricity that is outside the norm for a dwelling of your size, then you may be prompted to try to correct the problem (bad wiring, inefficient appliance, etc.) that you may not have even realized you had. One possible reason is that the person may not have realized that they downloaded an app/virus/bug that may inadvertently be using a large chunk of their bandwidth. That consumption would degrade performance for the user and fixing the problem would improve their experience with the device.

The same could probably be said for electricity. If you find out that you’re using a huge amount of electricity that is outside the norm for a dwelling of your size, then you may be prompted to try to correct the problem (bad wiring, inefficient appliance, etc.) that you may not have even realized you had.

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