The two of the three most read posts of the month of April concerned the way decision makers treat news – both the way they attend to it and the way they ignore it depending on whether it is consistent with their beliefs or not. The subject of the other popular post looks at incentives to good behaviour and at the relative effectiveness of positive versus negative reinforcement.
1) A Dutch Tale of Overreaction
2) Carrots, Sticks and Indian Motorists
3) Colourful Dogs Bark, Dull Caravan Passes
Last month's most popular read was a post that was supportive of the notorious financial ransactions' tax as a potential solution to the key criticisms of the workings of the City highlighted in the Kay Review. The second most popular post encouraged (up to a point) readers to go out and buy positional goods, or status symbols, because people genuinely respond to them. The final post in the top three revisited the theme of groupthink. This time the decisiopn-making behaviour of EU officals battling againts the crisis came under the spotlight.
Happiness was the theme of two of last month’s most popular posts. One examined the happiness one draws from helping others and questioned the very existence of altruism; the other compared the pleasure that comes from the consumption of experiences rather than of material ‘things’. Finally, one post recounted an early opinion of the Facebook IPO – straight from the primary school.
An allegorical tale about US rating agencies was among the most popular posts last month. But the most frequently read article concerned the pay-day lender, Wonga. The firm, more accustomed to irate commentary, might find this post rather easy on the eye. The third place was taken by a post that was first published in March last year and subsequently topped the 'best of' list for the year. Clearly readers do not tire of criticism of economic forecasters.
The eurozone debt crisis figured prominently among the most read blog posts in 2011 so it was not surprising that an article which discussed one aspect of the unfolding drama was among the three most popular. The number three spot went to a post that looked at how long it takes for individual investors to get over extreme market experiences. But the most popular post of the year featured a sobering analysis of the group that many consider a sitting-duck for criticism: economic forecasters.
2) A Default of the Entire Eurozone
3) The Thirty-Year Stock Market Hangover
The eurozone debt crisis was never too far from readers' attention in Novemeber. The most read posts all concerned the crisis, but from multiple perspectives - the individual, German politicians, and the European Central Bank.
1) A Default of the Entire Eurozone
2) Greenspan: Gamekeeper Turned Poacher
3) Investment Lesson #3 from the Women’s World Cup