Why are we so quick to disregard anecdotal evidence? (general rant)

[Desdichado]

Could just be me, but I'm tired of feeling like someone just called me a liar...

Don't be so dramatic. Saying that anecdotal evidence doesn't prove anything, which is entirely true, is nothing like calling you a liar. It just means that your little group's experience isn't statisticaclly significant.

 

[Storyteller01]

Not wanting to restart the original arguement, so forgive me if it seems that way. I'm thinking of this thread as something in a lesson on perspective and approach (and something of an apology), so bear with me.

As for feeling like being called a liar, I apologize for hurt feelings. Not my intention.

I had the chance to go back over the original thread. Most of the arguements I produced dealt with dimensions, measurements, and how I had been trained to view weapons. I thought I had been doing a decent job in using dimensions ans weapons usage that could be found with some research. I had tried to apply that perspective to something with my training standing 3 foot tall. I believe I used chidren as anecdotal examples. I thought it would be easy enough to test: give said children an appropriately sized stick and see if they had undo stress using it. The weight varience could be attributed to diffing strengths between the kids and the proposed critter.

I made the mistake in attempting to apply real world logic to the game. It was just infuriating to be 'told' (ie typed) that it did not apply because the PHB did not use those dimensions.

 

[Desdichado]

Hearsay is evidence that is reported second hand, like "Bob told me that he saw John in the alley that night." (It's what the witness heard someone else to say.) It's not quite the same thing as an anecdote, which is more like a (presumptively) entertaining or informative story about some event which seems remarkable to the narrator, but often less so to the listener, much like a description of the exploits of one's favorite D&D character.

That's an anecdote, but that's not really what's usually meant by anecdotal evidence. It's usually disparaged because someone is using a single instance to try and build a general theory upon. If I said, "Iron Kingdoms is teh suXX0r; nobody like their stuff. Privateer Press will be bankrupt within the month," and then tried to fend off the obvious replies that disagree with, "I know it is teh suXX0r; everybody in my group says so," that would be an example of inappropriately using anecdotal evidence, which would -- quite rightly -- be disparated.

 

[Storyteller01]

Don't be so dramatic. Saying that anecdotal evidence doesn't prove anything, which is entirely true, is nothing like calling you a liar. It just means that your little group's experience isn't statisticaclly significant.

Which is where the sticking point comes up. Every technique taught can be found in textbooks and fight magazines world wide. In our perspective, its nothing new, everyone who trains practices these.

Again, its perspective. I had been taught that all combat follows the the same rules. Haven't found anything to refute it yet.