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In my opinion, Excel is not a good platform for documenting research because it is very time consuming to audit and try to reproduce the results since there is

by _e 9y ago

In my opinion, Excel is not a good platform for documenting research because it is very time consuming to audit and try to reproduce the results since there is no standard way for inputting data. There is a long list of cases where companies and governments have made huge decisions that were based on Excel spreadsheets where the models had fundamental flaws [0][1][2]. [0] https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/02/13/microsofts-excel-might-be-the-most-dangerous-software-on-the-planet/#504efded633d https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/02/13/microsof... [1] https://storagemojo.com/2016/08/26/excel-may-be-dangerous-to-your-health-and-your-nation/ https://storagemojo.com/2016/08/26/excel-may-be-dangerous-to... [2] http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/Excel-is-dangerous-_19130803 http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/Excel-is-dangerous-_...

jaclaz 9y ago
>There is a long list of cases where companies and governments have made huge decisions that were based on Excel spreadsheets where the models had fundamental flaws Sure, but how do they compare with the (IMHO countless) number of "right huge decisions" made on actually accurate and well devised Excel spreadsheets? Excel is a tool, it has its limits like any tool, and should be used - like any other tool - with caution when "huge" decisions are made on it. And like any tool you cannot put the blame on it because someone cannot use it properly.
- semi-extrinsic 9y ago
  No, Excel is to blame, because it's way too happy to convert your data into something else it thinks is appropriate. A proper system (SPSS, R, Pandas, you name it) will yell at you if you try to do nonsensical stuff.
  - jaclaz 9y ago
    No doubt that there are "better" tools, still you can't put the blame on Excel. You can choose to put it on either the sloppyness/lazyness of not having checked (double checked) data and formulas or to the decision to use Excel (possibly due the ignorance of the existence of other "better" tools).

by _e 9y ago

jaclaz 9y ago

>There is a long list of cases where companies and governments have made huge decisions that were based on Excel spreadsheets where the models had fundamental flaws Sure, but how do they compare with the (IMHO countless) number of "right huge decisions" made on actually accurate and well devised Excel spreadsheets? Excel is a tool, it has its limits like any tool, and should be used - like any other tool - with caution when "huge" decisions are made on it. And like any tool you cannot put the blame on it because someone cannot use it properly.

semi-extrinsic 9y ago
No, Excel is to blame, because it's way too happy to convert your data into something else it thinks is appropriate. A proper system (SPSS, R, Pandas, you name it) will yell at you if you try to do nonsensical stuff.
- jaclaz 9y ago
  No doubt that there are "better" tools, still you can't put the blame on Excel. You can choose to put it on either the sloppyness/lazyness of not having checked (double checked) data and formulas or to the decision to use Excel (possibly due the ignorance of the existence of other "better" tools).