Enquêtes, exit polls, список избирателей, 民意测验

Have you even wondered that we're confronted every day with statistics, exit polls, opinions etc. in the media? If you hear this, you will certainly think about telephone calls and written reports. It's not that simple! There are so-called polls about practically every item you even don't have participated and yet, you're in too. Like a fictive "70 % of the Americans should find that..."
Of course, not 70 % have been asked for but for example 1000 participants are representing the whole nation. That's a tricky thing: what if really 100 million Americans were asked for their opinion? We're sure that the answers would be very different...
For every poll, the power of manipulation can be assured. If you're really participating this poll, your answer would be very vague: or you have strict defined answer(s), or with points, or with your own answer that could be simplified by the interrogators. And maybe you didn't understand the question, so you answered it wrong or with routine.
It looks like paradoxical but it isn't: A poll is a science and science must be clear(ed out).
Polls are useful to marketeers, politicians, economists, strategists. Shortly said: for everyone who's interested in numbers. But it isn't THE truth.
It's too bad that most people are interpreting the polls as for real.
Take a Belgian politician for instance like Yves Leterme. Already before the elections, his popularity in polls seems to be increasing. Result: more than 800 000 personal votes for him.
But he hasn't proved his leadership yet. Does he follow his own strategy? Who knows. Aware of the political booby traps and the complicity of Belgium, mister!
Where does all that info come from? Not only written and spoken answers of reports, but also our social, economical and emotional behaviour are important. Why there are therapists, detectives, inspectors and even cleaners for, you think? Info is everywhere and they collect it.
In times of Internet, even your personal spendings are not safe, despite all privacy acts in the world. Our feeling for opportunities makes it only worser: free software for installing spy ware.
Who cares? Only don't be foolish concerning financial transactions everywhere and keep focused on your career goals. Great power comes to great responsibility, as Spiderman has heared before...