I respectfully disagree with Michael Wyatt. I come from an academic
background and now work outside of academia, except for the occassional
course here or there. I too report to a manager or managers, depending on
the circumstances. But my experiences have not been the same as his. I am
constantly urged to use all my skills as a statistician and a research
methodologist by "my managers." (Horrid!!!)
Henry M. Silvert PHD
Research Statistician
The Conference Board
845 3rd. Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Tel. No.: (212) 339-0438
Fax No.: (212) 836-3825
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Friday, April 28, 2000 7:52 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: Data Mining blooper and Related Subjects
>
> ...And it extends even further. Many of us who toil in areas outside of
> academia have our work and productivity "supervised" by managers or
> directors who have little or no training in statistics, beyond a survey
> course. They receive the flashy brochures and read the ads that promise
> analytical software that will provide significant information, without
> the bother of of formulating one of those fancy-shmancy hypotheses.
>
> The higher-ups come to view data mining, decision support, outcomes
> analysis, & etc. as requiring no more skill than the ability to use a PC.
> I call it "The Myth of the Statistical Meat Grinder". The push of a
> button or two will generate the answer to all corporate questions, plus a
> few neat-o graphs for the board of directors packets.
>
> Michael T. Wyatt, Ph.D.
> (Embittered) Healthcare Analyst
> Quality Improvement Dept.
> DCH Regional Medical Center
> Tuscaloosa, AL
>
>
>
> On Wed, 26 Apr 2000 11:38:28 -0400 dennis roberts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> writes:
> > At 07:57 AM 4/26/00 -0500, Herman Rubin wrote:
> >
> >
> > >It does not surprise me one bit. The typical statistics
> > >course teaches statistical methods and pronouncements, with
> > >no attempt to achieve understanding. .... snip of more
> >
> > this is something i happen to agree with herman about ... but, it is
> > a much
> > broader problem than can be attributed to what happens in one course
> >
> > it is an attitude about what higher education is all about ... and
> > what the
> > goals are for it
> >
> > 'going to college' ... be it undergraduate level or graduate level
> > ... has
> > become a much more hit and miss experience, residence has little
> > meaning
> > ... that is being tailored more and more to the convenience of
> > students ...
> > and to what is 'user' friendly (or it won't SELL). studying
> > principles in
> > disciplines is hard work ... NOT user friendly ... so, less and less
> > is
> > being required in the way of diligent study.
> >
> > take graduate school for example ... there was a time, was there not
> > ...
> > where doctoral students were REALLY expected to be responsible for
> > their
> > dissertations AND were expected to be the experts in that particular
> > area
> > of inquiry ... AND to be competent enough to have done the work
> > him/herself
> > ... and to UNDERSTAND it .. ie, BE ABLE TO DEFEND ALL OF IT
> >
> > but, what i have noticed over many years is that dissertations are
> > becoming
> > more of a committee effort ... yes, the student MAY have had the
> > idea
> > (though not necessarily) but, from there ... he/she gets help with
> > the
> > design ... has someone else do the analysis (because he/she did not
> > take
> > any/sufficient work in analytic methods to understand what is going
> > on) ...
> > gets help in writing and editing .. and, even gets help in terms of
> > what
> > their results MEAN ...
> >
> > gives new meaning to the term: "cooperative learning"
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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