Info Overload

[Randall Herbert]

From the FT - Couldn't put it better myself.

Info overload

by LB 27 Feb 2006 07:47 AM

Information is almost too easy to get hold of today and even more difficult to combine into any sort of conclusion. Here's a good example:

"House prices rise at fastest pace since mid-2004"

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsarticl...N-HOMETRACK.xml

And:

"Repossessions at record high"

http://www.theargus.co.uk/the_argus/news/NEWS1.html

Well that's confusing isn't it?

Generally I try to look at the following to help me draw my conclusions:

- What are the facts? What is supposition or speculation?

- Who produced the data?

- What are the possible 'motives for the data?

- Who is reporting the data?

- Who is likely to read it?

- Is there any potential bias?

- What are the fundamental issues driving the data?

- What are the likely consequences?

- Are there any other data to support or disprove my analysis?

I think the answer's coming to me.

[boom_and_bust]

Hi,

Whatever spin you read at this time, it really goes to show what a shambles the chuckle brothers, messers Bliar and Brown have inflicted on the housing market and HPI driven economy. Income multiples reach record levels, debts and insolvencies reach record levels, home repocessions are reaching the levels of the last big crash and sharply spiking upwards YET, people are urged to hock themselves into even higher levels of debt and unaffordability when clearly people are struggling already. Houses became way overpriced at the height of a boom a year or two previous and now the economy and people are drowning in debt, unable to meet values that the Uk economy and citizens cannot support. Is it really anymore complicated than that?

Boomer

[jonpo]

The only good thing about my history GCSE was it taught me an excellent ability to interpret contradictory and possibly bised information sources. and for that I am thankful that I do not live in ignorance of the lies we are fed to us every day.