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Not this shit again. Anecdote != data. Yes Bill Gates is a drop out. Does that mean it's a good idea to drop out? No.

• moocowduckquack 13y ago
  Logically, if someone says that swans must be white, you do not need to find more than one black swan to disprove that statement. Also, you are completely misusing the term anecdote.
• randomdata 13y ago
  A single anecdote is perfectly sufficient to disqualify the claim. Whether or not dropping out is a good idea is the real tired argument here, and does not even relate to the parent's comment. Google has studied this and released a recent report about the matter (I do not have the link handy anymore, but it was posted to HN at the time). They found that there is no relationship between educational attainment and ability/performance. The case is closed, at least until someone invalidates their study. Given that, whether dropping out of/not attending a post-secondary institution is a good or bad idea is really a personal matter, and is highly dependant on the individual and that individual's particular situation. It might be important for you, personally, to get a degree, but projecting that onto anyone else is pointless as nobody else is in the same situation as you.
  • dexterchief 13y ago
    If you could dig up that link to the study I would love to read it.
  • vinceguidry 13y ago
    > The case is closed, at least until someone invalidates their study. Studies don't prove anything, it's so difficult to show causation with the methodology of a study that very few of them even attempt it. The best you can get is a strong correlation.
    • randomdata 13y ago
      But they found no correlation. That's the point. Until someone can at least show that, there is not much we can discuss.