Re: Stop the negativism!

"Staiger" wrote

I think Wayne and Bob have missed the point: so long as you
KNOW that your data may be skewed, and bear that in mind
when using it, it IS better than no data.

To attain that confidence, you have to not only know that your sample is
skewed, but in what ways and to what extent. IOW, you have to have
pre-existent knoweledge of the difference between the sample and the
population, and a knowledge of how changes in the population are refleced by
changes in the sample.

None of that is true here.
..
The problems arise when you ASSUME your data is representative

Whereas this IS being done. Or perhaps "asserted" would be a better term.

isn't. THEN it's worse than nothing! But only fools make that mistake.

Actually, I'd say it's pretty common. Nothing comes easier to people that
over-crediting the convenient anecdote.

Incidentally, self-selected data is often especially valuable because it
tends to represent that subset of your customer base who are the real
movers and shakers,

That depends entirely on the basis for self-selection. For example, free
download numbers can be skewed by favoring those unwilling to spend money
for software.

Again, you need to bear in mind the caveats.

Which doesn't appear to be happening.

bobD


.

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