esrosedotblog

BY THE NUMBERS

This is funny.

Or not.

Are Metrics Blinding Our Perception?

Short version, in a word "yes".

I don't know if I am doing measuring these days. Well, except that I weigh myself every morning. I measure all my food portions. But that is before not after.

I used to keep a runner's log with every detail of my running experience. For years!

I never looked at it.

I knew somehow that the numbers didn't tell the story (miles, weather, route, condition). What counted was that I ran as hard and as far as time and conditions would allow. No more, no less.

Most guys who work out in the gym measure their progress one way or another. For a long time I worked off a computerized workout schedule where I would report in and they would update my exercise, weight and repetitions. I think that worked.

I also used their diet plan for a few years. It worked too. I would weigh and measure myself every Saturday and report. They would give me a menu. Us. I still use remnants of that today.

I think that is as far as I have gone. I don't do it anymore.

We never statisticalized our love life. Talk about performance anxiety. Jeez.

Like everything, I think, it is a matter of moderation. Give yourself some feedback and make decisions accordingly but include the subjective.

Let's see. How many entries in the blog today? How many words? Is it time to check my readability?

Readability Results
The following table contains the readability results for http://esrose.blogspot.com/ .

Reading Level Results
Summary Value
Total sentences 348
Total words 2989
Average words per Sentence 8.59
Words with 1 Syllable 2131
Words with 2 Syllables 549
Words with 3 Syllables 219
Words with 4 or more Syllables 90
Percentage of word with three or more syllables 10.34%
Average Syllables per Word 1.42
Gunning Fog Index 7.57
Flesch Reading Ease 77.94
Flesch-Kincaid Grade 4.52

I am still at 8th grade reader level. Ease is over the desired 70% And the Flesch-Kincaid has me at 4th grade. That can't be right. See? Throw out the numbers that disagree with your hypothesis or that clash unfavorably with the desired result--the 4 vs the 8. I want 8. Throw 4 out.

Now that is the way to use metrics.

Labels: blog, blogging, culture