On Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:40:54 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:


"Bill Taylor" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 17 Sep 2006 23:47:21 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:


"malc" wrote in message
...


Statistics say whatever
you want them to.


No they don't, not if they are genuine and accurate.....

Years ago I read a book called "How to lie with statistics" which
shows how to select and present genuine and accurate information to
give virtually whatever conclusion you want. Never trusted statiscal
results since, especially if they come from
salemen/politicians/pressure groups etc.


Tell you what, chill out and read these:

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/netmusic/...526590,00.html

http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index...ge=1&pagepos=2

This one actually gives some figures at the bottom, if you believe
them of course!

7 inch vinyl sales for 2005 -- 288,780
Total single sales for 2005 -- 11,040,075

So vinyl singles sales were 2.6% of the total market.

Yes, vinyl singles sales increased by 87% but from an insignificant
base. Also note that overall sales increased by 52%.

Someone says that vinyl singles sales have increased by 87% (a big
number) but gives no other figures. The naive observer concludes that
vinyl sales are doing well and becoming significant. Look at the real
figures and the true picture emerges.

Otherwise known as lying with statistics.



Have I got 'Toopid' or summat tattooed on my forehead that I need a lecture
on statistics?

It's quite obvious that you aren't 'Toopid'. Judging from your
original post and your reply denying that statistics can be
manipulated it seemed that you did need a Lecture

No-one in his right mind believes a word of what politicians,
salesmen, clergymen and most 'professionals' say, but to dismiss all
statistics as 'lies, all lies' is a little ignorant to say the least.
Without the scientific application of 'statististic' you'd still be queueing
for the toilet somewhere....

Quite.

(Long before there was *digital anything* my grandfather told me not to
believe half what I see or anything that I hear....!! ;-)

"Bill Taylor" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:40:54 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:


"Bill Taylor" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 17 Sep 2006 23:47:21 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:


"malc" wrote in message
...


Statistics say whatever
you want them to.


No they don't, not if they are genuine and accurate.....

Years ago I read a book called "How to lie with statistics" which
shows how to select and present genuine and accurate information to
give virtually whatever conclusion you want. Never trusted statiscal
results since, especially if they come from
salemen/politicians/pressure groups etc.


Tell you what, chill out and read these:

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/netmusic/...526590,00.html

http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index...ge=1&pagepos=2

This one actually gives some figures at the bottom, if you believe
them of course!

7 inch vinyl sales for 2005 -- 288,780
Total single sales for 2005 -- 11,040,075

So vinyl singles sales were 2.6% of the total market.

Yes, vinyl singles sales increased by 87% but from an insignificant
base. Also note that overall sales increased by 52%.

Someone says that vinyl singles sales have increased by 87% (a big
number) but gives no other figures. The naive observer concludes that
vinyl sales are doing well and becoming significant. Look at the real
figures and the true picture emerges.

Otherwise known as lying with statistics.



Have I got 'Toopid' or summat tattooed on my forehead that I need a
lecture
on statistics?

It's quite obvious that you aren't 'Toopid'.


OK, I'll take all the compliments I can get..... :-)


Judging from your
original post and your reply denying that statistics can be
manipulated it seemed that you did need a Lecture


Except that I never did that. It went like this:

-------------------------------
"Statistics say whatever
you want them to.


No they don't, not if they are genuine and accurate....."
--------------------------------


Not quite the same thing, is it....???

When statistics are 'manipulated' or just plain false they are no longer
'statistics', they are lies.....