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Median does NOT equal Average - a quick primer

Max Case
Registered User
Join date: 23 Dec 2004
Posts: 353
01-13-2005 14:17
Sorry, but I keep seeing people misquoting Phillip saying that the Average user will lose about L$37. This is incorrect. Median does not equal average.

Median just refers to the middle number in a range of numbers. [quote: The MEDIAN is the number in the middle. In order to find the median,
you have to put the values in order from lowest to highest, then find
the number that is exactly in the middle] and more: http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/57602.html
so in this list of numbers:

0 0 1 2 10 50 50 50 100

29 is the Average (mean), but 10 is the Median - quite different.

So, when looking at the median effect, they could be counting all those basic accounts that are techincally alive, but abandoned by their owners.

"Philip Linden: There are about 2400 basic users affected by this change.
Philip Linden: The median ratings stipend they get is $75.
Philip Linden: So we are talking about a L$37 weekly change."

Please someone set me straight if I am way off base here.

Max
Isis Becquerel
Ferine Strumpet
Join date: 1 Sep 2004
Posts: 971
01-13-2005 14:18
You are correct.
_____________________
One of the most fashionable notions of our times is that social problems like poverty and oppression breed wars. Most wars, however, are started by well-fed people with time on their hands to dream up half-baked ideologies or grandiose ambitions, and to nurse real or imagined grievances.
Thomas Sowell

As long as the bottle of wine costs more than 50 bucks, I'm not an alcoholic...even if I did drink 3 of them.
Talen Morgan
Amused
Join date: 2 Apr 2004
Posts: 3,097
01-13-2005 14:18
From: Max Case
Sorry, but I keep seeing people misquoting Phillip saying that the Average user will lose about L$37. This is incorrect. Median does not equal average.

Median just refers to the middle number in a range of numbers. [quote: The MEDIAN is the number in the middle. In order to find the median,
you have to put the values in order from lowest to highest, then find
the number that is exactly in the middle] and more: http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/57602.html
so in this list of numbers:

0 0 1 2 10 50 50 50 100

29 is the Average (mean), but 10 is the Median - quite different.

So, when looking at the median effect, they could be counting all those basic accounts that are techincally alive, but abandoned by their owners.

"Philip Linden: There are about 2400 basic users affected by this change.
Philip Linden: The median ratings stipend they get is $75.
Philip Linden: So we are talking about a L$37 weekly change."

Please someone set me straight if I am way off base here.

Max



nope, you nailed it
Torley Linden
Enlightenment!
Join date: 15 Sep 2004
Posts: 16,530
01-13-2005 14:23
Thanks for the heads-up, Max. And yes, this is a common misconception, not like "it's" as a contraction for "it is" and "its" possessive. ;)

I forget this myself, so thanks for the reminder.
_____________________
Marker Dinova
I eat yellow paperclips.
Join date: 13 Sep 2004
Posts: 608
01-13-2005 14:24
From: Max Case
Sorry, but I keep seeing people misquoting Phillip saying that the Average user will lose about L$37. This is incorrect. Median does not equal average.

Median just refers to the middle number in a range of numbers. [quote: The MEDIAN is the number in the middle. In order to find the median,
you have to put the values in order from lowest to highest, then find
the number that is exactly in the middle] and more: http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/57602.html
so in this list of numbers:

0 0 1 2 10 50 50 50 100

29 is the Average (mean), but 10 is the Median - quite different.

So, when looking at the median effect, they could be counting all those basic accounts that are techincally alive, but abandoned by their owners.

"Philip Linden: There are about 2400 basic users affected by this change.
Philip Linden: The median ratings stipend they get is $75.
Philip Linden: So we are talking about a L$37 weekly change."

Please someone set me straight if I am way off base here.

Max


Remember that accounts that do not log on regularly, don't recieve stipends at all.
I doubt they factored in accounts with 0 weekly stipends... anyone would sort the numbers out in excel and disregard the zeros, at least.

C'mon people.. give these guys some credit. I'd like to see how many of the people whining on the forums with shallow ideas on "how it should work" actually own and run a successful service business as complex as SL and keep every single customer absolutely happy.
_____________________
The difference between you and me = me - you.
The difference between me and you = you - me.

add them up and we have

2The 2difference 2between 2me 2and 2you = 0

2(The difference between me and you) = 0

The difference between me and you = 0/2

The difference between me and you = 0

I never thought we were so similar :eek:
Max Case
Registered User
Join date: 23 Dec 2004
Posts: 353
01-13-2005 14:41
From: Marker Dinova
Remember that accounts that do not log on regularly, don't recieve stipends at all.
I doubt they factored in accounts with 0 weekly stipends... anyone would sort the numbers out in excel and disregard the zeros, at least.

C'mon people.. give these guys some credit. I'd like to see how many of the people whining on the forums with shallow ideas on "how it should work" actually own and run a successful service business as complex as SL and keep every single customer absolutely happy.


Hi Dinova,

no, i don't know for a fact that they removed all the Zero logon accounts. It's fine if you wanna assume that.

Also, this has nothing to do with giving them credit. I give the LL people full props. I am not whining here.Fortunately, I am one those monkish players, who spends little, so i'm not that bothered. Just means I have less to give away. ;)

Just pointing something out, and wondering if they did in fact remove the zeros.

max
Marker Dinova
I eat yellow paperclips.
Join date: 13 Sep 2004
Posts: 608
Sorry about that, max
01-13-2005 14:48
Yeah, I too am making assumptions. And I'm sorry if my post sounded agressive, in a way, I didn't mean it to be so - at least not to you. I'm just tired of all these posts where people complain and complain about things they know little of and haven't even been able to measure the impact of such changes.

Why can't we all be patient enough to see the results? Usually, the person that can forsee the best moves in chess is not necessarily any of the players.. but who is overwatching the game. The people with the big pictures, the trends, the actual numbers.. I don't say they know best, but they surely know better.
_____________________
The difference between you and me = me - you.
The difference between me and you = you - me.

add them up and we have

2The 2difference 2between 2me 2and 2you = 0

2(The difference between me and you) = 0

The difference between me and you = 0/2

The difference between me and you = 0

I never thought we were so similar :eek:
Lance LeFay
is a Thug
Join date: 1 May 2003
Posts: 1,488
01-13-2005 14:52
Yes, however, the median gives more of an idea about what the average user has for a bonus- Users with extrememly high bonuses throw the average off.
_____________________
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