Theories of Sufficient and Voluntary Information

This article discusses theories of sufficient or voluntary information as competitive theories to the requirement of perfect information in a free market. Economic theory holds that markets reach equilibrium in the context of free or perfect information. In the real world we don’t have such information and yet we see markets working just fine. It’s … Read more

Start Using Javascript for Statistics

This article argues that data scientists and others should increasingly employ Javascript for statistical operations. First, let’s cover what is normally used and why. The normal things employed for statistical operation include R, STATA, SPSS, and recently there has been increased interest in Python. There always seem to come and go smaller apps, languages, and … Read more

Is There a Data Science Wage Bubble?

This article notes a fact about current wages in the data science industry and speculates a bit about possible causes. U.S. data scientists are currently experiencing strange returns to experience. Here is the source of that claim, from PayScale. Below is the key image from the source article: Here is a chart from the same … Read more

Sufficiency Development

I recently wrote a post on 7 approaches to conceptual engineering. This article discusses one particular approach in greater detail, or perhaps arguably outlines an 8th approach altogether. Conceptual engineering is planning the way you are going to implement certain features into a product. The concept applies to all sorts of things including physical goods, … Read more

7 Techniques to Conceptual Engineering

Concept engineering, conceptual engineering, and, less specifically, conceptualization, all refer to the process of selecting which features a product should have. This is relevant to building software as well as development of physical products or services. I’m not an expert conceptual engineer or an engineer at all really which I why I was a bit … Read more

Effect of Page Speed on Revenue

This article shows 2 data sources for how the load speed of a web page affects revenue. 1:   We are the first to quantify the impact page speed has on web conversions. Free 30-Day Trial: http://t.co/EM2sm6Rsj5 pic.twitter.com/YbOSS3sTJt — Blue Triangle Tech (@BlueTriangleTec) May 22, 2015   2:  

A Model of Entrepeneurship

This article presents a simple model of entrepreneurship and checks it against convenience data. We start from a rational actor framework adjusted for perceived value rather than actual value, although perceived and actual value should correlate in the short run and converge in the long run. The founding assumption is that potential entrepreneurs will choose … Read more

False Distributions and Reason Magazine

Survey question wording can result in a misleading response distribution. A recent Reason article stated the following: Republican animus against iimmigration [sic] is wildly out of line with the rest of the country. Fully 84 percent of Republicans say they are “dissatisfied” with current levels of immigration (presumably, they want them decreased). Yet just 39 … Read more

Robust Argumentation

An individual can make a consistent argument with properly obtained data and conduct analysis according to standard methods and make a very wrong conclusion. Robustness is achieved by reproduction of a particular result despite analysis based on heterogeneous theory, source data, and method. This is most feasible at the level of a social collective rather … Read more

Tawhid or Trinity?

Dr. Shabir Ally and Dr. Nabeel Qureshi recently had a great debate on the nature of God. Is God best described by the Muslim concept of Tawhid or by the Christian concept of the Trinity? Overall I would recommend you watch the debate rather than reading my commentary on the debate. I of course think … Read more