The Perils of Metrics Misapplied
A Reuter's OpEd titled "Quantifying the damage of the rush to quantify" highlights the perils of metrics -- vitally important in many cases -- misapplied. The author, David Callahan, emphasizes the propensity for misuse and for cheating that the unending quest for numbers and 'empirical data' creates. As he writes:
Quote:
"The number-crunching crowd argues that stronger metrics lead to better outcomes, and certainly there are places where this is true."
. . .
"But, as many critics have pointed out, trying to quantify everything is questionable given the subtleties of the human experience."
Many things require metrics, many more can usefully adopt some metrics -- however, a great many things do not lend themselves to applied metrics. As Callahan notes, misuse can drive fudging, outright cheating and some very flawed perceptions. Warfare, particularly in the realm of tactical and operational training, performance and assessment is one place where, in US practice, 'metrics' are overly and wrongly applied. Significantly so...
$600 for a toilet seat and 14 trillion reasons
Never in my life have I seen such foolishness with our federal budget. From the old lady in tennis shoes that destroys your travel voucher in hours to save .99 cents (that you in fact paid) to the "lowest bidder to a beltway bandit" with the cheapest widget with the highest overhead costs.
If we even remotely followed some small business savvy we would never have entered into a war and would doubtfully be in debt.