Latest Internet Guilty Pleasure: Intrade.com
September 2, 2008 – 11:52 pmAsk someone who they think will win an election and you might get a biased answer. Have them put money on it and you’re bound to get a more honest answer.
This is why I recently have started monitoring intrade.com, an online predictions market.
Here’s a look at today’s presidential prediction graphs. Looks like some activities at the Republican National Convention created a short spike tonight, but things quickly returned to previous trends after.
Of course you can expand graphs over weeks, months and years. It was very interesting to see how the Palin announcement last week effectively reversed DNC gains made the night before.
I’ll often keep these graphs open all day long, set to auto-refresh, and compare with current news events. It can be pretty interesting at times. (cough cough Google News mashup, anyone?). You can also follow a traditional stock ticker.
Of course you can also bid on or monitor important issues like the Emmy Awards or Britney Spears chances of entering rehab, but I tend to stick with politics.
How is betting on current events legal? It isn’t! Well, not in the US. This company is based in Dublin.
4 Responses to “Latest Internet Guilty Pleasure: Intrade.com”
Pretty fascinating. Too bad it’s almost certainly illegal for us to use. And too bad I know nothing about politics.
By Wysz on Sep 3, 2008 - 12:43 am
Mike,
An int’l legal research class I’m in used your blog as an example of what a “blog” is. I thought you’d be flattered.
jdilk
By Joshua on Sep 4, 2008 - 11:35 am
Did not notice until I was reading it in your handwriting… but:
Did you mean: latest?
By Wysz on Sep 12, 2008 - 2:36 am
wow, that was a pretty big typo on my part. Fixed now, but I guess I’m stuck with this link. doh!
Thanks for finding that Wysz.
By Mike on Sep 12, 2008 - 7:58 am