3 ms·

Your anecdotes are not data.

gnaritas 10y ago
They're anecdata, the best kind of data for those with an agenda or those without brains.
giardini 10y ago
The evidence is far more than anecdotal. Anyone who is an active tool user could provide more - ask your local mechanic. The experience I describe is almost universal and transcends the term "anecdodal". Here's some bedside reading: 'What’s in a tool? A case for Made in USA': http://hackaday.com/2016/01/18/whats-in-a-tool-a-case-for-made-in-usa/ http://hackaday.com/2016/01/18/whats-in-a-tool-a-case-for-ma... Discussion of the same: https://build.slashdot.org/story/16/01/18/213236/whats-in-a-tool-a-case-for-made-in-the-usa https://build.slashdot.org/story/16/01/18/213236/whats-in-a-... "China & The Decline In Quality (And Soon In Profits)": http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-18/china-decline-quality-and-soon-profits http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-18/china-decline-quali... And my favorite, just for fun: "Chinese Factory Worker Can't Believe The Shit He Makes For Americans": http://www.theonion.com/article/chinese-factory-worker-cant-believe-the-shit-he-ma-1343 http://www.theonion.com/article/chinese-factory-worker-cant-...
- nl 10y ago
  I'm not from the US or China. I think that outside the US, the reputation of US-made good has never been particularly strong. We see US cars, and compare them to Japanese cars and see mostly failings. So far as Chinese goods go, I have no particular knowledge of wrenches. However, I'd note that (Chinese made) Apple products are generally of pretty good quality. I'd also point out that the ZeroHedge article doesn't really make a strong case that quality is decreasing at all. And you realize the Onion is a parody, right?
  - giardini 10y ago
    My point was that _everything_ I could post myself would necessarily be "anecdotal", but that anyone willing to do a google search can find millions of remarks: e.g., https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&complete=0&hl=en&source=hp&biw=&bih=&q=chinese+goods+quality&btnG=Google+Search&gbv=2 https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&complete=0&hl=en&... But you don't need to do that. Instead observe! Go to a hardware store and try out a few tools from various countries. You'll see what I mean. _Pay_ _attention_ to the world you live in and the tools you and others use every day. In my case, my fingernail clippers failing (not one, but two pair, from different Chinese manufacturers, within weeks of each other) was the straw that broke the camel's back. Instead of asking me to provide hard statistical evidence on these forums, I expect you internet wunderkinds to write a one-off ML tool to scrape the internet for "anecdotal" evidence, collate it, translate it with your neural net NL software, correlate it, and finally analyze it as your own statistical evidence. Maybe you'd even share it with others, but that isn't necessary. nl: "I'd also point out that the ZeroHedge article doesn't really make a strong case that quality is decreasing at all.": I can only assume you read an article other than the one I linked to. And yes, I intentionally put the Onion article in there, because it is funny. But some people have no sense of humour and are unable to resist pointing out the obvious.

They're anecdata, the best kind of data for those with an agenda or those without brains.

The evidence is far more than anecdotal. Anyone who is an active tool user could provide more - ask your local mechanic. The experience I describe is almost universal and transcends the term "anecdodal". Here's some bedside reading: 'What’s in a tool? A case for Made in USA': http://hackaday.com/2016/01/18/whats-in-a-tool-a-case-for-made-in-usa/ http://hackaday.com/2016/01/18/whats-in-a-tool-a-case-for-ma... Discussion of the same: https://build.slashdot.org/story/16/01/18/213236/whats-in-a-tool-a-case-for-made-in-the-usa https://build.slashdot.org/story/16/01/18/213236/whats-in-a-... "China & The Decline In Quality (And Soon In Profits)": http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-18/china-decline-quality-and-soon-profits http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-18/china-decline-quali... And my favorite, just for fun: "Chinese Factory Worker Can't Believe The Shit He Makes For Americans": http://www.theonion.com/article/chinese-factory-worker-cant-believe-the-shit-he-ma-1343 http://www.theonion.com/article/chinese-factory-worker-cant-...

nl 10y ago
I'm not from the US or China. I think that outside the US, the reputation of US-made good has never been particularly strong. We see US cars, and compare them to Japanese cars and see mostly failings. So far as Chinese goods go, I have no particular knowledge of wrenches. However, I'd note that (Chinese made) Apple products are generally of pretty good quality. I'd also point out that the ZeroHedge article doesn't really make a strong case that quality is decreasing at all. And you realize the Onion is a parody, right?
- giardini 10y ago
  My point was that _everything_ I could post myself would necessarily be "anecdotal", but that anyone willing to do a google search can find millions of remarks: e.g., https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&complete=0&hl=en&source=hp&biw=&bih=&q=chinese+goods+quality&btnG=Google+Search&gbv=2 https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&complete=0&hl=en&... But you don't need to do that. Instead observe! Go to a hardware store and try out a few tools from various countries. You'll see what I mean. _Pay_ _attention_ to the world you live in and the tools you and others use every day. In my case, my fingernail clippers failing (not one, but two pair, from different Chinese manufacturers, within weeks of each other) was the straw that broke the camel's back. Instead of asking me to provide hard statistical evidence on these forums, I expect you internet wunderkinds to write a one-off ML tool to scrape the internet for "anecdotal" evidence, collate it, translate it with your neural net NL software, correlate it, and finally analyze it as your own statistical evidence. Maybe you'd even share it with others, but that isn't necessary. nl: "I'd also point out that the ZeroHedge article doesn't really make a strong case that quality is decreasing at all.": I can only assume you read an article other than the one I linked to. And yes, I intentionally put the Onion article in there, because it is funny. But some people have no sense of humour and are unable to resist pointing out the obvious.