Crowd Counting tools at Beck-Palin Rally (noon)

Thank you for bursting the myth of Mr Beck's claim of an attendance of 500,000. Most people don't realize just haw many people that is, and the consequent density. 87,000 is a lot of people anyway but we now see scientifically that the tea party movement isn't anywhere as popular as propagandized by its proponents.

Good article on the controversy, quoting Curt and an independent analyst who came up with essentially the same 87,000 number.

Here's the link!
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20015214-503544.html

On the north side of the reflecting pool, opposite from the balloon position, there were people packed in under the trees to escape the sun.

None of the pictures captured those people thus there is no way that they could be included in the count.

Furthermore, the people underneath the trees right below the position of the balloon are also not visible thus they also could not have been counted.

The exclusion of those two areas of dense crowd attendance makes the entire assessment process suspect at best.

I was at the event, and I have my doubts about the 500K, and the 87K number. Not that it really matters, but I'm guessing it's somewhere between the two, maybe closer to the 100K number. Anway, thank you for posting these photos. When I saw the balloon go up in the air, I actually thought to myself "wouldn't it be cool if those pictures were put on Photosynth!" Very cool.

Also, I just wanted to add that the crowds under the trees on the closer side of the photos (and probably the other side as well) was as croweded (if not more) than the other dense parts; people were packed in to get shade... it was HOT in the sun.

By the way -- Curt also posted another synth with 30 additional photos. I haven't studied it enough to understand what extra angles/areas it covers. http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=f7726e0d-101a-426d-a461-a5f93cb9c334

David, thank you for pointing that one out.

Even in the additional pictures the trees completely obscure the view of the people below.

Based on the photographs I've seen posted here so far, there is no possible way that the entire crowd was counted.

Also, based on the photographs posted here, there is no way that the crowd density on the northern side of the reflecting pool, especially on the WWII Memorial end, could have been accurately estimated. The vantage point of the camera is too far away.

This picture was taken at noon. Why not at 10 when the most people where there to hear Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin. There are alot of empty chair in the front that were full when they were speaking. I bet alot of people left by this time

A few comments:
How did he come up with 500K? I know, he just guessed. Pulled it out of the air and reported it as facts. This is now he does most his research. His gut tells him (i.e God).

If someone what to come up with another scientific method to come up with a different number go right ahead. But just saying I feel like, or it looks like to me, or I was there, it was 50 Million is not saying anything.

I find if funny/sad that he clams the media is always misleading and reporting lies and he report this lie that can be check and he still stand by the lie.

Last: I also find if hilariousness that his joke that the media reported 1000 people was closer to the fact then his report of 500,000. Or even the 300,000 or some others. That is only wrong by 500%.

One more: still a lot of people why do you need to lie? I hope people that went had fun!