Autocorrect errors in Excel still creating genomics headache
1–10 of 108 posts
Re: Autocorrect errors in Excel still creating genomics headache
#2Can anyone with first hand experience on this tell shed some light on why stick with Excel versus using python, R or what have you to treat the data?
Re: Autocorrect errors in Excel still creating genomics headache
#3Can anyone with first hand experience on this tell shed some light on why stick with Excel versus using python, R or what have you to treat the data?
Given that these are relatively unskilled users, would switching away from Excel increase or decrease errors? I don't think it's a given that errors would decrease by switching away from Excel.
Re: Autocorrect errors in Excel still creating genomics headache
#4Can anyone with first hand experience on this tell shed some light on why stick with Excel versus using python, R or what have you to treat the data?
Because an absolutely enormous number of people involved in all ends of genomics and biomedical science have absolutely no inkling whatsoever about programming.
Furthermore, Microsoft office is installed everywhere everywhere everywhere… like it leave it love it or hate it, it doesn’t matter… it’s true (at least for huge swaths of the demographic).
So the first thing most people learn is excel and the last thing most people use is excel. It’s a database, it’s a spreadsheet, you can even use it as a word processor if you want to. And some have.
I’m not saying you could and I’m not saying you should, I’m just answering as to “why“.
Re: Autocorrect errors in Excel still creating genomics headache
#5Can anyone with first hand experience on this tell shed some light on why stick with Excel versus using python, R or what have you to treat the data?
"That’s something Purdie says she doesn’t have time for. She has adapted to Excel’s quirks, adding apostrophes before commonly affected genes to prevent the conversion, or pre-formatting spreadsheet cells before importing data. “It’s one of those things that I just accept,” she says."
Re: Autocorrect errors in Excel still creating genomics headache
#6Autocorrect(and predictive text) has reached an interesting milestone, good enough that you mainly rely on it, but occasionally it distorts the data you intended to send. Disengaging the technology isn't easy, or even understanding field types it shouldn't correct(everyday my work VPN auth window tries to autocorrect my username). There is so much context that is unavailable to the computer, and there is no good way to provide it.
I think it has interesting implications for self-driving, since as far as I can tell we're at an earlier but similar stage in its development; works for simple situations, likely to drive you into a wall for no reason. We build so much trust in these systems, we stop paying attention to what they are doing, and then pay the price when it behaves in an unexpected way to the user.
Re: Autocorrect errors in Excel still creating genomics headache
#7Can anyone with first hand experience on this tell shed some light on why stick with Excel versus using python, R or what have you to treat the data?
Given that these are relatively unskilled users, would switching away from Excel increase or decrease errors? I don't think it's a given that errors would decrease by switching away from Excel.
I think there is a difference between the errors. Excel autocorrect errors are easy to miss as it is the software making an arbritrary decision over your own.
Errors made from using a new , presumably neutral software, would be the kind you are supposed to catch as a researcher.
There is obviously scope for error in everything but Excel's user-hostile methods are not justified by this.
Re: Autocorrect errors in Excel still creating genomics headache
#8Can anyone with first hand experience on this tell shed some light on why stick with Excel versus using python, R or what have you to treat the data?
It might be easier to teach people how to use excel correctly with for example power query.
Re: Autocorrect errors in Excel still creating genomics headache
#9Can anyone with first hand experience on this tell shed some light on why stick with Excel versus using python, R or what have you to treat the data?
Given that these are relatively unskilled users, would switching away from Excel increase or decrease errors? I don't think it's a given that errors would decrease by switching away from Excel.
Switch to what?
Excel is everywhere.
People are familiar with it. The same people are often not familiar with, and have never used, and may even be confused by “notepad.exe”.
Re: Autocorrect errors in Excel still creating genomics headache
#10Can anyone with first hand experience on this tell shed some light on why stick with Excel versus using python, R or what have you to treat the data?
Is there any reason to suspect that the primary factor is something other than the difference between an extremely featured end user GUI and programming?