What do you think of statisitcs, do you obsess over every single detail in your life, record them in an excel spread sheet and make graphs about them while fondling your collection of hair you've aquired from around the world? Do you believe any statistic placed in front of you as fact or have you even *gasp, shock, horror* made up some statistics to aid yourself in an arguement?
Also if you could be any type of graph what type would you be?
a pie chart!
The only thing i would use statistics for is to predict something, as you cant predict the future, but you can calculate the propability.. since statistics is very important in that.. id have to use it.
Statistics should never be made up without being very clear that you are making such statistics up. Unless you are sure of the statistic, you should be clear that your statistic is either a load of crap or at least an estimation.
Statistics are awesome, by the way. They rock so hard. If I was a graph, I would be sexier than I already am.
A slice of Bert :hat:Quote:
Originally Posted by Bert
a slice of heaven then ;)!
Everything but the hair thing. That's just Kiwi-like.
I'm a stacked bar graph.
Statistics are bullskulls because if you asked the questions the right way, analyze the data the right way, and arrange the numbers the right way, you can make them say whatever you want them to say.
Example:
I ask you this, "Do you think the United States government spends too much or not enough money on illegal immigrants?" Most would answer, "Too much."
If I asked the same question with different wording, "Would you deny a child of an illegal immigrant healthcare or education?" Most would answer, "No."
The same person just gave me two conflicting answers to the same question. So, I get some preconceived notion as to how I want the poll to look and ask the questions accordingly.
After that, I can compile the data to manipulate the statistics even more. Unless you came up with the data and compiled it yourself, you really can't know whether or not to believe the statistics. And 86% of people agree with me, according to a poll I just made up for this joke.
I put my family's grocery receipt into excel one time and made it into a pie graph to show my mom how much money she was wasting on cigarettes.
Only when stating that a certain percentage of all statistics are made up; I use a different number every time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Baloki
I'd be a line graph, one with a red line and an arrowhead on its end.
Now there's a good use of stats. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by rubah
As for the topic, I myself don't use statistics, I was once a perfectionist and I don't want to start obsessing over that unless it's necessary, as in rubah's case.
If statistics are properly gathered, they can be very useful. However, it is rare that they are properly gathered.
I think statistics can be very interesting, and depending on what type it is it can also be quit fun taking part in one. I don't really take the result of one as a fact per se, though. If it had to be a fact, they'd have to ask every single person on the planet and that'll never happen - statistics are good indicators, but they will never be facts.
Also, I love pie charts! :bigsmile:
I like BoB's statistics. I find them interesting, but I wouldn't spend the time myself gathering information because I'd rather read other statistics. :jess: