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Of two typical meanings for "probability", you're using the one the grandparent didn't mean.
by randallsquared 13y ago
Of two typical meanings for "probability", you're using the one the grandparent didn't mean.
- wglb 13y agoOne meaning is "more likely than not to happen". What is the other?
- randallsquared 13y ago"Considering the probability that" could be read to mean "Considering the chance that", since probabilities are the measurement of chance. I believe that it was written to mean that. The idea that reporting people to law enforcement usually means that they will be killed is an uncharitable reading of the sentence, in my opinion.
- rayiner 13y agoWhichever one he meant, he's on thin ground. If he meant "probable" as more likely than not, its facially ridiculous. So I assumed he wasn't being ridiculous and was referring to a small but non zero number, and asked for a cite to what it may be.
- randallsquared 13y agoThen I don't understand your use of quotes. Putting scare quotes only makes sense if you think he meant more likely than not, since otherwise he's just saying that whatever probability it is needs consideration (if you're in that situation). Which seems utterly reasonable.
- tptacek 13y agoThose weren't scare quotes. We're discussing the meaning of a word, and he's simply calling out the word itself as the subject of his sentence.
- randallsquared 13y agoNo, before that: """ > Considering the probability that people reported to law enforcement agencies will be killed as a result I'd love to see a citation for this "probability." """ Those quotes are not about the meaning of the word. They were the reason I assumed he was misunderstanding the (likely, in my opinion) use of the word "probability". (These quotes are about the meaning of the word... :) )
- tedunangst 13y agoIf you like scare quotes, your use of "consideration" seems to be in line with the popular internet definition meaning "agreement with me". :) Maybe rayiner considered it, and considers it unlikely. Does he need to keep considering it until he changes his mind?
- randallsquared 13y ago"Does he need to keep considering it until he changes his mind?" I don't understand where you think I said anything of the sort; I meant only that by using those quotes, rayiner seemed to have taken the original commenter to which he replied to mean it was more probable than not. Apparently other people also believe that it was meant that way, so perhaps I'm completely wrong about how it was meant. Except that rayiner then suggested he took the word the same way I did, and just wanted the original commenter's citation of a probability figure that wasn't offered in the first place, which means I have no idea what he was suggesting by putting it in quotes. Clearly I'm failing badly at communicating what I mean and understanding others. :/
- tedunangst 13y agoI interpreted the quotes to call out the probability as extremely small. As in, not probable.