11.21
Data Bias on Social Media
A few days ago, I saw a foreigner ask about a schedule for Chinese middle school students on Hellotalk, which was from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm every weekday.
The interesting thing was the following comments.
Almost 80% of them confirmed it’s real, while the rest complained about how useless this schedule is.
I found it interesting because not all areas in China followed this schedule, such as Shanghai. But no one mentioned that even though there were many users from Shanghai on that platform.
And secondly, this system has many advantages. I’m not saying it’s perfect. But for myself, I developed great personal abilities during that time, such as concentration, self-discipline, learning methods and a love for learning new things.
Thirdly, I didn’t leave my opinion under the post, because the questioner and the atmosphere made me feel that my opinion would be unwelcome. Also, the question wasn’t important to me.
So if you only get information from the comments on that post, you’ll have a typical data bias.
It’s just a little observation and you’re welcome to discuss.
11.22
About Data Bias
I apologize for using jargon in my last entry without explaining it, so this one is written to explain these technical terms.
Data bias is a term used in the field of data analysis. It happens when information is collected or analyzed in a way that leads to unfair or inaccurate conclusions due to the data not representing all possibilities equally.
There are four main types of data bias: sampling bias, observer bias, interpretation bias, and confirmation bias. You might already know the definitions from their names.
At work, I have to consider bias and fairness from the moment we start collecting data until we present our conclusions. Detecting data bias in daily life is almost one of my occupational habits.
Data bias is everywhere, so I’m tired of correcting it. I just let it go, except in my work projects.
11.26
What Would You Miss?
A few days ago, I talked with some friends online about an interesting topic: What can’t you live without when you go overseas?
I found it interesting because the first thing that came into my mind was nothing.
In my opinion, the amazing part of being overseas, traveling, or on business, is that you can experience different, such as the scenery, food, culture, local friends, and so on. The beauty of the world comes from its diversity, and being overseas allows you to engage with different cultures. So I think I can live however the locals live.
However, I suddenly remembered my experiences in Manila, Santorini, and Paris. There I realized that I couldn’t live without boiled water, which is why I have an electric kettle specially for traveling.
What would you miss if you left your own country?
11.27
A Chinese Idiom
I don’t know what to write today, so will tell you a story about a Chinese idiom.
Over 2300 years ago, a peasant found that a rabbit hit the stump of a tree and died. He put down his hoe, stopped farming, and waited by the root, hoping to get more rabbits to feed his family.
This story was recorded by philosopher Han Feizi in his book and it led to the Chinese idiom “守株待兔”-“waiting for a rabbit”, which means expecting success without any effort to get luck or clinging to narrow experiences.
11.28
A Casual Entry
1
I wrote an entry last night but didn’t post it here. It was about a video of my micro rose plant. You can watch it here.
If you find any mistakes in the text, please let me know.
2
It seems that you guys liked the idiom story in my last entry so let me tell you another one.
In the novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”, which is based on real Chinese history that happened around 1800 years ago, one of the three bosses Liu Bei finally persuaded Zhuge Liang to be his prime minister. Zhuge Liang was the wisest strategist at that time.
So Liu Bei said, “Sir, I’m so lucky to have you assist me, just like a fish into the water”. So that’s how the Chinese idiom “如鱼得水” （feel like a fish in water) came to be.
It means that one has something that makes him/her most in his/her element.
* Writing “his/her” (especially multiple times in one sentence) can read quite awkwardly. There are a couple of ways to counter this:
1. Change it to the plural form -> “It means when people have something that makes them most in their element”
2. Use the gender-neutral pronoun “they” (it doesn’t follow old-fashioned grammar rules but is being accepted much more in modern language) -> “it means when one has something that makes them most in their element”
3. Pick one pronoun and stick with it (it doesn’t really matter what gender you pick, “he” is more common, and “she” is more inclusive) -> “It means that one has something that makes her most in her element”
11.29
Have a Nice Weekend
Right now, I’m preparing stuff for tomorrow’s hike.
I’ve baked a multi-grain bread and washed three fruits: an apple and two oranges. My power bank and AirPods are charging. I’ve also prepared some extra clothes in case my clothes are sweaty after I finish hiking.
I just bought a new insulated water bottle to carry some hot water with me because the weather has been getting colder and colder.
And now I’m arranging the pictures and videos on my phone to make sure that I’ll have enough space to capture tomorrow’s views.
I hope we all have a nice weekend.