Ok...
How many of these opinion polls relied on random selection?!
How many of these polls relied on voluntary response?
I am not a gamer...So lets say i bump into one of these stupid XBOX, GCN, or PS2 threads comparing the significance of the three?
WHat is the likeliness i will vote for any? not very high.
HOwever, lets say i see a poll about...politics. What is the likeliness i will vote now? A bit higher...
Now, guess which types of people are going to be interested in "Arab hate polls?" Yes, Arabs who hate the jews. You think if you were an arab that didn't concern yourself with the issue, you would be even looking at the webpage?! NO!
That, my friend, is voluntary response..
Now send out some surveys...randomly...to arabs...
Then from the replies you get back...randomly pick out 50. (this again will result in a bias poll, but it will be a little better). Tell me the results you find now?
Again, you run the risk of getting more replies from hateful people, than from neutral people...
Anyways...that is the basic principal of accumulating data.. Have fun with your endeavors.