The Normal Distribution in Revleft

[Havet]

So i thought of doing a little experiment which might turn out to be of use for many people here.

I started by taking a lot of my posts and seeing how long would it take to finish them. As for the quality of posts, i used my own subjective value mixed with what other people thought of the posts (eg: how many thanks, how many rep, how many quotes from my post, etc)

Finally, I discovered there was a normal distribution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_distribution) between the quality of posts and time to post them. It can be seen here in this graph:

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/6913/revleft.jpg

Think about it the next time 20 minutes have passed and you're still editing your reply ;)

[IcarusAngel]

Quality posts should take longer because it gives more time to do research and look for sources.

[Havet]

Quality posts should take longer because it gives more time to do research and look for sources.

Yeah I thought that too. But at some point you start spending so much time looking for sources that you start mixing things up.

For example, the first time you spend about 5 minutes looking for sources, but the quality of the post overall doesn't make much sense because its the first time ever you're analyzing that source.

The second time, since you already have those sources (and probably favorited them) and more experience and understanding of them, you take less time and the quality is increased.

[IcarusAngel]

Yes. That is true too. I often write something, forget what I've written, and then re-edit in a way that ends up making less sense before the edit. This is because I'm often doing two or more things when I'm posting, instead of focusing. Posts should attempt to make a point and should contain evidence, not just opinion, and that is what I try to do.

[Demogorgon]

I have to say, the post I still believe to be the best I ever made on RevLeft took me over an hour and a half to write and stretched to several thousand words. I understand your argument that drawing out the time you take will harm the quality of your post, but sometimes a lot needs to be said.

[Robert]

Your "best" post, eh? Hmm.

People who think as you do will think all your posts are great, and those who don't will not. Adding to your theory a lot of carefully marshalled stats about the horrors of imperialism, for example, won't make a capitalist disregard the horrors of communism, or vice versa. No matter how much time you spend on it.

[Demogorgon]

Your "best" post, eh? Hmm.

People who think as you do will think all your posts are great, and those who don't will not. Adding to your theory a lot of carefully marshalled stats about the horrors of imperialism, for example, won't make a capitalist disregard the horrors of communism, or vice versa. No matter how much time you spend on it.
It is true that those who agree with me will like my posts, but I feel justified in a spot of pride for a post in which I went through the historical class circumstances of the Glorious Revolution and the Meiji Restoration, discussed the relation of cost of production to price, explained the way demand works in the market and still managed to bring beer into it.

I dislike vanity as a rule, but I can't help it with that post.

[Havet]

It is true that those who agree with me will like my posts, but I feel justified in a spot of pride for a post in which I went through the historical class circumstances of the Glorious Revolution and the Meiji Restoration, discussed the relation of cost of production to price, explained the way demand works in the market and still managed to bring beer into it.

I dislike vanity as a rule, but I can't help it with that post.

Well, I suppose you're an outlier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outlier) then xD