R is a name you need to know

November 11, 2010

As if that is news to some of you.

Forbes has a Mean Business blog post by Steve McNally titled “Names You Need to Know in 2011: R Data Analysis Software”. The post includes several links to why R is wonderful.

It also includes a pretty — but seemingly useless — statistical graph.  Correct me if I’m wrong.

This is the Green Room in The first rule of statistics is you don’t write about statistics takes exception to the simplistic statement about Facebook using R to learn about customer retention.

Leave a Reply

  1. Joel Cadwell 2010-11-11 at 16:27 - Reply

    The graph comes from John Fox’s book, Applied Regression, Generalized Linear Models, and Related Methods, Second Edition.

    http://socserv.socsci.mcmaster.ca/jfox/Books/Applied-Regression-2E/index.html

    John Fox is the maintainer for the CRAN Task View: Statistics for the Social Sciences.

  2. Pat 2010-11-11 at 17:34 - Reply

    Joel, thanks. I obviously owe John an apology — I’m unlikely to think what he does is useless.

  3. Steve McNally 2010-11-11 at 17:54 - Reply

    Hello –

    The graph was / is linked to the John Fox source Joel provides above –

    I’d used the image foremost because it was pretty, but I hardly find it useless: even without additional context, “Education, Prestige, Income” are compelling data points to the Forbes community. Inferences can be made as-is; IMO, this is a strong case in R’s favor, in general.

    Agreed that R is hardly news in some circles; those circles are widening. The hope is that widening is welcomed.

    I welcome any feedback w/r/t providing more context in my post.

    Thanks

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