TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Our Telephonic Primacy


Re: Our Telephonic Primacy


Justin Time (a_user2000@yahoo.com)
23 Mar 2005 13:16:01 -0800

Advocates of public policy on both sides of the aisle love to throw
out statistics. Newspapers like them as well -- they "authenticate" a
story. But the key component of all statistics is the base sample.
When we say 25% percent of such-and-such, we need to understand
exactly what 'such and such' _includes_ AND _excludes_, as well as
exactly the definition of the subset percentage. Further, it is
critical that statistics be compared in context to other yardsticks of
other equivalent areas and situations of past time. Often the full
story is not told.

I believe it was George Carlin who stated something like, "40% of all
statistics are made up."

Post Followup Article Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
Go to Next message: John Levine: "Re: Some Concerned About Privacy Implications of E-ZPass System"
Go to Previous message: Dan Lanciani: "Re: What Happened To Channel 1"
May be in reply to: Monty Solomon: "Our Telephonic Primacy"
Next in thread: Dave Garland: "Re: Our Telephonic Primacy"
TELECOM Digest: Home Page