Re: Re: Flawed Surveys [was: VPN endpoints]

[Christopher Hicks <chicks () chicks net>]

On Wed, 1 Sep 2004, Marcus J. Ranum wrote:
> Paul D. Robertson wrote:
> > I've often used the results of non-randomized, non-blinded surveys to
> > approximate my risk.  It's often worked well.  Just because it can go
> > wrong doesn't mean it has to.
>
> People used the theory that Earth was in the center of the solar
> system for thousands of years. It often worked well. Just because
> it was wrong didn't really matter a whole lot, either, until they
> started trying to use that theory for actual problem-solving
> instead of just painting cool stuff on temple walls.

Err, no mjr.  You've overstepped your own logical position a wee bit here, 
not to mention human history.  People did plenty of problem solving while 
thinking the world was flat.  We had ships navigating in the open seas and 
oceans for hundreds of years before we progressed to the next better 
approximation.  Just because some people's "good enough" seems a bit weak 
to us doesn't make their good enough bad.  We just have to show that it's 
ultimately easier to do it "right" if it is easier...

> When "doing it right" is just a small amount harder than "doing
> it wrong"  the excuse "I like doing it wrong" is really, really weak.

Doing a blind or double blind study is certainly important for science, 
medicine and other areas where ultimate accuracy is required.  Does that 
mean its wrong when people accept a lesser approximation?  In terms of 
business it may not be worth the money to have the scientifically correct 
answer.  A lot of decisions are made by a show of hands by a bunch of 
suits around a conference table.  That doesn't tend to be remotely 
scientific (not to mention rational, but that's getting us further off 
topic...)

--
</chris>

There are two ways of constructing a software design. One way is to make 
it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies. And the other way 
is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies.
 -- C.A.R. Hoare

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