Statistics

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
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What was the % before say... the tasering incidents? That's a crucial bit of information to have before anyone makes any kind of inference.
I can't remember but the confidence stats were definitely higher before the cops got tasers.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
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Vernon, B.C.
Statistics are only as good as the quality of the data. Caveat.

But now here's a pickle for you. Do you think that this non-reporting of crime is a new phenomenon, or something that has always been there? If so, showing a decreasing trend in crime rates is very likely to be a robust result. If not, then the statistics which show that this is a new phenomenon lead to investigations, which can find ways of addressing the problem.

Exactly, contrary to being told that we should trust certain "information" because they are "statistics", but never qualifying what kind of statistics they are. For instance I've engaged in phone polling and have given answers to questions but nobody ever checked to see if I was lying about my answers and some of the answers may as well have been lies because the person conducting the poll could not speak English, so half the time I was only guessing at the gist of the question.
 

YukonJack

Time Out
Dec 26, 2008
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"And I'll ask you the same thing I asked Jack. Do you know in what context that quote is derived from?"

Tonnignton, you are asking two people who only quoted a very quotable quote by a very wise person.

There is one person who could give you the answer to your question, called: Samuel Clements.
 

Tonington

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Oct 27, 2006
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The meaning of that quote is two-fold, and it's wise because of that. The people who most often use this quote use it predominantly in one form only, and thus miss the true wisdom in the quote.

It means that some people use statistics to tell lies, sure enough, and that's what most people use it (the quote) for. But it also refers to the fact that some people choose to write off statistics that they have cognitive issues with, or find inconvenient. So when someone uses this quote when they have no reason to discard the finding, they are actually the other side of the coin that this wise person was referring to.

Incidentally, there were others before him who had similar statements.
 
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JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
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Vernon, B.C.
"And I'll ask you the same thing I asked Jack. Do you know in what context that quote is derived from?"

Tonnignton, you are asking two people who only quoted a very quotable quote by a very wise person.

There is one person who could give you the answer to your question, called: Samuel Clements.

Yep, quoting Benjamin Disraeli.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
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Vernon, B.C.
"A" quoting "B" quoting "C" and so on...

Does that invalidate the quote?


YOu'd have to ask "the Great I am"- it just might alter the status from "statistical" to "anecdotal"...............................:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
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"And I'll ask you the same thing I asked Jack. Do you know in what context that quote is derived from?"

Tonnignton, you are asking two people who only quoted a very quotable quote by a very wise person.

There is one person who could give you the answer to your question, called: Samuel Clements.
He attributed it to Benjamin Disraeli (but there's no evidence Disraeli said it), but it is mostly likely a quote of Charles Wentworth Dilke, who said it as a joke.