Talk:Factor analysis
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There is nothing resembling an account of what factor analysis is! It's as if the article is trying to protect the reader from reading about actual math. If I weren't very rusty on this, I'd jump right in. 131.183.81.100 21:36 26 Jun 2003 (UTC)
- I didn't realize that this encyclopedia was limited to a mathematical perspective. I admit that I am not a mathematician, but as a marketer I have had occasion to use factor analysis tecniques and that is why my article is practical and applications oriented. If you wish to add or correct some of the mathematical theory involved, then go ahead. But don't trash the article because it is not purely mathematical enough for you. user:mydogategodshat
It's not because it's not purely mathematical enough, but rather because of two things: It is written as if factor analysis is used ONLY in marketing (as if "car" were defined as "a technology for travelling from Grafton to Clarksburg", those two locations being the ONLY ones cars could travel to or from) and, more seriously, it does not even hint at what factor analysis is, or even attempt to say anything about that. Factor analysis originated in psychology and is used in biology and other fields; to say that the data are usually collected by market researchers or the like is absurd. Michael Hardy 22:20 26 Jun 2003 (UTC)
- Here is a solution. I will move the article to factor analysis (in marketing) to reflect the applied nature of the article. That way you can write a seperate purely theortical article that wont be tainted with practical considerations.
I never contemplated any purely theoretical article not tainted with practical considerations, nor do I think that would be a good idea. I do think that some attempt should be made to say what factor analysis is. I will probably attend to that within a few days. Michael Hardy 22:29 26 Jun 2003 (UTC)
"Have a computer run the factor analysis procedure" is the black box in this article: what that procedure is should be a central point, because if that procedure is replaced by something quite different, then what is being done is NOT factor analysis, even if everything now in the article remains true. Michael Hardy 22:32 26 Jun 2003 (UTC)
- If you wish to add or correct some of the mathematical theory involved, then go ahead. Any help at compensating for my mathematical deficiencies would be appreciated. - user:mydogategodshat
- Over the next week or two I will also be writing articles on:
- Your mathematical expertise would be appreciated there as well.
- user:mydogategodshat
From Wikipedia:Redirects for deletion
- Factor analysis -> Factor analysis (in marketing)
- Was moved because it was not about factor analysis in general, but just about factor analysis in marketing. But such a move has no use if one lets the redirect stand. Andre Engels 18:25, 4 Jan 2004 (UTC)
- Don't delete, write at least a stub or disambiguation page. Onebyone 18:34, 4 Jan 2004 (UTC)
- Move it back and have the entire article under the heading ==Marketing==. The term doesnt need to be split. --Jiang 03:46, 11 Jan 2004 (UTC)
From User talk:Angela
- I see you moved factor analysis (in marketing) to factor analysis. Let us recall some history. That was this article's original name. I complained that the article makes not the least attempt to say what factor analysis is (and please see the discussion page before disputing this). The page's first author rather belligerently and falsely accused me of wanting to write some sort of ivory-towerish account devoid of any mention of practical applications. What incited that attack I do not know. What happened was a sort of compromise. But my objection stands: the article still simply does not care what factor analysis is; it makes no attempt to even hint at that topic. Michael Hardy 02:05, 13 Jan 2004 (UTC)
- I don't dispute that the article is lacking information on what FA is, but that isn't a reason to remove the information on applications of FA. I added the subheading to make it clear that most of the article is on its use in market research. This doesn't stop someone coming and writing something more about FA that is not related to market research. I'm not sure I understand what the problem is. Angela. 02:15, Jan 13, 2004 (UTC)
What factor analysis is
I'm looking at this again a long time after the discussion above. I'm amazed that someone would suggest that I'm trying to make this "purely mathematical" or not hint at applications. Obviously a technique about which all of the things said in the article are true could be something altogether different from factor analysis, until my edit today. The article didn't even hint at what factor analysis is, and the person who made those irrational accusations against me didn't appear to know or care what factor analysis is. But now I guilty of what I was told was a heinous crime: inserting into this article something about what factor analysis is. That that would be considered criminal is one of the more remarkable instances of irrationality I've seen. Michael Hardy 23:02, 19 Nov 2004 (UTC)
- Thanks for filling in the mathematical theory that I was not familiar with. In my opinion that is a more satisfactory approach than inserting "The factual accuracy of this article is disputed" at the top of the article because you felt it lacked "actual math". mydogategodshat 18:46, 20 Nov 2004 (UTC)