"Avi Bryant" <avi / beta4.com> wrote:
> On Fri, 26 Oct 2001, Joel Neely wrote:
> > But, unfortunately, not true.
> >
> > Half of all X are below the *median*, but not below the average
> > unless there's a totally symmetric distribution, which rarely
> > happens in nature.
>
> To nitpick the nitpick - things in nature often have a gaussian (normal)
> distribution, which is indeed symmetric.  Human height, etc, show a normal
> distribution, and I don't see why programming skill wouldn't.

OK, to add another level of nitpick: Thins in nature _sometimes_ have an
_approximately_ normal distribution, _near_ the mean (i.e. an SD or 2). The
height distribution has a non-symmetric/non-Gaussian fall off on the lower
side of the range. For instance, if you had a human population of many
trillions (10 ** 12) of people, you would probably get a few 12 foot tall
people, but vastly fewer 0 foot tall people.  :-)

> IANAS (I am not a statistican), however.
[...]
> > brucedickey wrote:
> > >
> > > Good one.
> > >
> > > > From: Ned Konz
> > > >
> > > > Oddly enough, half of all programmers are below average...

You think that's bad? 90% of them aren't even in the top 10%!
:-)

Conrad