Somebody Please Do The Hard Math

[mudbug]

I'm kinda curious about the statistics of our board - what's popular, what's not, etc...............

Doing a very quick and superficial survey, I see we like to chit-chat the most
(Off-Topic Chat: 2358 threads, 57,460 posts)

Next, we seem to have a collective sweet tooth
(Baking... Desserts: 2,157 threads, 12,450n posts)

Then we like to talk about the gear we use
(Cookware and Accessories: 8,842 posts)

And we like to talk about what we're having for dinner
(Today's Menu, etc. 16,009 posts)

However, I bet there's some differences once you factor in the ratio of threads vs. responses.

It would be interesting to have some math whiz Excel this all out for me.......

 

[texasgirl]

sorry, it's not me, mudbug. I like to multiply, divide, add and substract in my head, but, I don't like this kind of math.

 

[mudbug]

yeah, well, I was a lib arts major, so there's no hope for me.

 

[BigDog]

So, what are you looking for? What percentage of all topics are in each respective section? Ditto for posts?

 

[mudbug]

Not sure, Big. I just think it likely that if you went on raw numbers that you wouldn't necessarily find out what really interests people.

For example, there may be a topic with a lotta threads started, but not that many posts in response, statistically speaking - or a forum with not that many threads started, but a statistically significant amount of responses. Know what I mean?

I'm not good at numbers, but someone here must be and would know how to present this kind of data. Not a major concern, actually. Idle curiosity more than anything.

 

[ronjohn55]

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

No! No! No!

I just got done with my MBA Market Research class, and I don't even want to think about sample size, variance, or any of that other stuff!!!!

Where's my beer???

John

 

[Raven]

All I know is that 80% of all statistics can be made up on the spot! (that's a 4:1 ratio! )

~ Raven ~

 

[middie]

oh man please don't ask me to do math. i'll spend eternity trying to figure it out and still get no answer lol

 

[Barbara L]

All I know is that 80% of all statistics can be made up on the spot! (that's a 4:1 ratio! )

~ Raven ~

I'm going off-topic here, but what you said reminded me of something I did with my class once. I was telling them that surveys can be made to show what you want them to show, not necessarily what the truth really is. I told them that I could make most (if not all) of them choose walnuts as their favorite ice cream topping (they were 2nd graders, and very few 2nd graders like walnuts). Of course they all said that I couldn't. Then I took a survey of favorite ice cream toppings (and they had to choose one). Their choices were sand, rocks, ground glass, and walnuts. All but one chose walnuts (one said he would go with sand!). They were totally amazed that they really did end up choosing walnuts like I said they would!

Barbara

 

[jkath]

Mudbug, this is why this discussion board is so popular, and keeps many of it's members. Could you imagine if we only shared recipes without the discussion? yeesh! booooooooooo-ring!

math whiz....we need a math whiz......

 

[Alix]

Mudbug, there are roughly 24 posts per thread in the Off Topic Chat that you listed, and roughly 5 per thread in the Dessert section. However, you didn't offer the thread and post count for the other one so I can't do that math for you. Does that help?

 

[mudbug]

Thanks, Alix. I'm a little surprised at how much action this thread has caused. I was just idly wondering and thought that surely there's someone out there (NOT you, ronjohn) who is into all this number/ratio/percentage stuff and had already figured it all out.

Remember what Mark Twain once said: "There are lies, ****ed lies, and then statisitics."

 

[buckytom]

statistics are merely evidentiary perception, nothing more.

they are the ammo of manipulation.

 

[jkath]

Fast and constant chatters, we are!

Why it was only July 1 of last year when Middie herself posted the 100,000th posting...
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f54/almost-100-000-posts-here-12430.html?highlight=100%2C000
... go to your portal and see where we are now!

 

[kitchenelf]

I quit helping my son with math in the 4th grade - on the other hand I had to explain how to change a franction into a number with a decimal to my boss - but first had to explain what a numerator and denomitar was. She still didn't understand and said it was just too hard and would take too much time.

So, if your not good at math and you want to feel good about yourself hang around with my boss (sorry boss)

 

[wasabi]

So, if your not good at math and you want to feel good about yourself hang around with my boss (sorry boss)

Or with me.

 

[kitchenelf]

lol wasabi - I must admit that I had to make a phone call to see if I was remembering correctly. The hardest part was trying to explain what I was doing and why. I can do this math though - If you take a Lunesta (about an hour ago) how many minutes before you fall flat on your face? Well, I think the answer is in about 3 - so I'm off to bed.

 

[Chatwon]

Where to ask a question is no small matter.

I'm kinda curious about the statistics of our board - what's popular, what's not, etc...............

Doing a very quick and superficial survey.......

It would be interesting to have some math whiz Excel this all out for me.......

Try asking your (thought-out) question here:
http://allexperts.com/displayExpert.asp?Expert=63879

You might just get what you are asking for. And, for free!