Sorry about the spelling - will evans user experience architect [EMAIL PROTECTED] 617.281.1281
On Nov 27, 2007, at 10:07 PM, William Evans <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Your example is not stats. A sample set of 6 is called anecdote. > Turning it into a percentage is not stats. Their I'd no amount of > boostrapping that will make it so either. If you are not using a > statician fluent in regression analysis and using spss or SAS - then > you cannot lay claim to doing quant. Numbers dont lie. People lie. > People also ask the wrong questions and then interpret the answers > the wrong way bases on assumptions, bias, ignorance or stupidity but > properly done real quant done by qualified people is eminently > useful. (IMHO) > > will evans > user experience architect > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 617.281.1281 > > > On Nov 27, 2007, at 8:46 PM, Katie Albers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > >> At 6:10 PM -0700 11/27/07, Robert Hoekman, Jr. wrote: >>>> Do you think analyzing data using tools like Omniture and >>>> Coremetrics >>>> should >>>> fall under the user experience umbrella? >>> >>> >>> Definitely falls under UX. So much can be learned about human >>> behavior from >>> stats, it's unreal. And stats don't lie, which is more than we can >>> say about >>> humans (even when these "lies" are unintentional). >>> >>> -r- >> >> Oh dear. Oh my. If you're consulting a statistician who can't make >> any set of data say anything you want them to say then you should >> find a better statistician. Of course statistics lie. Statistics >> properly manipulated can tell you just about anything about anyone in >> any situation. It's like the old joke about the difference between a >> bookkeeper and an accountant: When you ask how much money you made >> last year a bookkeeper will answer the question and the accountant >> will ask you how much money you want to have made. >> >> Data don't have meaning without context and context is amazingly >> flexible. To give just a few examples that leap to my mind whenever >> someone says that statistics don't lie I cite the following: >> >> A study early in the co-education process of a previously all men's >> college that said 1/3 of all women admitted had married faculty >> members. Mind you there were only 6 women who'd been admitted and the >> social life of the college was all frat based and they imported girls >> for events, thank you very much. Both the male faculty in question >> were also brand new PhDs. >> >> As we all know, 50% of all marriages end in divorce. Except that they >> don't and they never have. One year in the early 60s a study was done >> which noticed that in a particular year there would be 50% as many >> divorces as marriages. You'll never find anyone (except me) who will >> call your attention to the fact that those data are unrelated to the >> conclusion. >> >> The point is not that the numbers are wrong, nor are they apparently >> "false" but both of them are intended to elucidate the behavior of a >> certain group of people under certain circumstances but tell us >> absolutely nothing about human behavior except that in the US (at >> least) we tend to believe things if there are numbers attached to it. >> >> There are a million examples...many much more pointed than >> these...and books are constantly being written on the application and >> misapplication of statistics, but the central fact remains: If you >> want someone to believe what you're saying, find a number that seems >> to support it. >> >> Katie >> -- >> >> ---------------- >> Katie Albers >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> ________________________________________________________________ >> *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* >> February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA >> Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ >> >> ________________________________________________________________ >> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! >> To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe >> List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines >> List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help ________________________________________________________________ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
