Rework page:: Artistic License Statistics

What this thread is now about:

The following is the original post:

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Unlike with Artistic License – Biology and the other tropes now under the AL banner, misusing statistics is not "artistic license", it's a pretty plain right or wrong deal. Its current name doesn't really make sense—it was only named as it is because it was originally titled You Fail Statistics Forever and was grouped in with the general rename.

There is precedence for this type of rename: Logical Fallacies was titled "Artistic License - Logic" at one point, and was quickly renamed for obvious reasons.

I suggest a rename to something like Statistical Fallacies or Statistic Misuse—though those names are rather dry so other ideas would be appreciated.

edited 25th Aug '11 12:39:27 PM by Unknownlight

Definitely rename, doesn't really makes sense with the article, like you said. I like Abusing Statistics For Fun And Profit.

edited 24th Aug '11 8:52:56 PM by NoirGrimoir

SPATULA, Supporters of Page Altering To Urgently Lead to Amelioration (supports not going through TRS for tweaks and minor improvements.)

Statistical Errors?

edited 24th Aug '11 9:10:05 PM by Jeysie

Apparently I am adorable, but my GF is my #1 Groupie. (Avatar by Dreki-K)

How is it different from Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics?

Fight smart, not fair.

Uh, it's not?

Seriously, I think it and Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics had the same "Wrong and Bad!" and "Wrong, But Not Bad!" division as a couple of the other You Fail X pages and their counterparts did

edited 24th Aug '11 10:15:52 PM by Madrugada

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

I forgot we even had that page.

It seems like Artistic License – Statistics is about accidental statistics errors and Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics is about purposeful ones.

Tropes Are Flexible. My vote is for merging.

edited 24th Aug '11 10:27:23 PM by Unknownlight

Hm. I'd think that messing up statistics is just part of Writers Cannot Do Math (or whatever that trope was). Damned Lies strikes me as something where the statistics are manipulated.

Fight smart, not fair.

Yes, statistics is pretty much part of Writers Cannot Do Math. Even so, it's distinct and detailed enough that it qualifies as a sub-trope and shouldn't be merged, I'd say.

^^ That's really a more accurate statement of the differencve. "You Fail Statistics Forever was "Durrhurrhurr, the author got this wrong, they're so dumb".

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

Or perhaps accidental statistical errors should be considered part of Writers Cannot Do Math and the details of the different kinds of statistical fallacies should be moved to Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics, as a semi-Super Trope about the different fallacies and how they can be exploited.

Man, I'm wishy-washy.

God no, we don't need more fallacy crap on the tropes. Make a Useful Notes on them.

Fight smart, not fair.

That sounds fine.

So, the current idea: Turn the contents of Artistic License – Statistics into a Useful Notes page (with a bit of rewriting), turn the examples into examples of Writers Cannot Do Math, and leave Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics the way it is?

This thread has veered so far off-topic.

edited 24th Aug '11 11:59:33 PM by Unknownlight

If we didn't need to apply thought to problems, we wouldn't need a thread to post arguments.

Fight smart, not fair.

Excellent, this thread has been renamed. Now we just need more people's opinions on this.

Sounds good to me.

SPATULA, Supporters of Page Altering To Urgently Lead to Amelioration (supports not going through TRS for tweaks and minor improvements.)

Concur with the merge.

Rhetorical, eh? ... Eight!

Sounds like a plan to me.

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.