56) Craigslist Research

I'm a huge proponent of using publicly available data as research material. Back in April, All Things Considered ran a story about using Craigslist as an economic measuring tool. Ted Egan, Chief Economist of the San Francisco Controller's Office, pointed out that Craigslist's basic structure lends itself nicely to such stats. It's organized by city, and sometimes even by sub-divisions of cities. Posts are only up for two weeks, ensuring that the data is timely. It is a highly searchable, booming, open marketplace.

Though less quantitative than Craigslist, I think blog comments on national news and opinion sites are worth a second look. More often than not, I get really annoyed when I read through them. But I think it'd be interesting to look at who is commenting, what they're saying, and to cross reference that info with the news outlet's readership profile. Example - If Wall Street Journal readers are highly educated, upper-middle class elite with HHIs of $X, why are the douchebags of that group the only ones commenting?

Mini aside - This deserves more concrete thought, and I got a little cheeky and facetious towards the end, but it's Friday. Happy weekend.