TSG Success Rate -- Revisited

oscar51 · 08:59 AM

Last year in February I reported on what I called the TSG Success Rate, i.e., the percentage of threads in each help forum that were successfully resolved. This year I took another look at success rate using a method similar to last year's but based on a much larger sampling of threads. Here are the results.

Code:

                          Success rate
                      This year | Last year
  Forum:                        |
Business Applications   60.0%   |  41.9%
Games                   35.7%   |   ---
All Other Software      45.5%   |  45.2%
Hardware                44.5%   |  40.6%
Development             67.4%   |  43.7%
Windows 95/98/Me        47.8%   |  53.1%
Windows NT/2000/XP      44.8%   |  25.0%
UNIX/Linux              52.9%   |  42.8%
DOS/Mac/PDA/Other       50.0%   |  25.0%
Web & Email             47.1%   |  40.6%
Networking              38.6%   |  43.7%
Security                50.9%   |  62.5%
                        --------|-------
Overall:                46.7%   |  45.3%

An explanation on how these numbers were obtained and a discussion of other relevant data can be found in http://www.oscar51.net/tsg/tsgrpt6.html.

angelize56 · 09-Feb-2003, 12:00 PM #2

I wonder why the decreased rates in windows 95/98/ME, Networking and Security? But great increases in other areas! Applaud applaud to the techies!! Good going! Especially in Development and Windows NT/2000/XP.

So what is the margin of error possible here Oscar?

It's so cool what you do. Take care. angel

P.S.-Time for another breakdown of where some members (me, Candy, Davey, TechGuy, etc.) posted! That was fun the last one you did!

angelize56 · 09-Feb-2003, 12:04 PM #3

Oscar: I answered my own questions after reading the page you posted the addy to!

Good job! angel

oscar51 · 09-Feb-2003, 11:46 PM #4

Here you go, Resident Angel. I'd have had this sooner except someone changed the output of the TSG search function from .php files to .html files and I had to fiddle with strange line endings again. And it's now 2003 so that threw me for awhile. Anyway... December was a slow month; what happened?

Code:

angelize56: 8708 posts since 04-18-2002

 Posts    %    Forum Name
     0     0.  Business Applications
     2  0.022  Games
    25  0.287  All Other Software
    25  0.287  Hardware
    37  0.424  Development
   151  1.734  Windows 95/98/Me
     6  0.068  Windows NT/2000/XP
     0     0.  UNIX/Linux
     2  0.022  DOS/Mac/PDA/Other
    47  0.539  Web & Email
     0     0.  Networking
    92  1.056  Security
  8133  93.39  Random Discussion
     3  0.034  Reviews
   178  2.044  Site Comments & Suggestions
     7  0.080  Tips & Tricks
 -----  -----------
  8708  Total posts

 Posts  Mon  Year
     0  Jan  2002
     0  Feb  2002
     0  Mar  2002
    34  Apr  2002
   189  May  2002
   158  Jun  2002
   527  Jul  2002
  1345  Aug  2002
  1281  Sep  2002
  1368  Oct  2002
  1354  Nov  2002
   812  Dec  2002
  1035  Jan  2003
   605  Feb  2003
 -----  ---------
  8708  Total posts

 Posts  Day
  1325  Sun
  1108  Mon
  1140  Tue
  1290  Wed
  1403  Thu
  1212  Fri
  1230  Sat
 -----  -----
  8708  Total posts

 Posts  Local time
   717  0000 to 0100
   560  0100 to 0200
   527  0200 to 0300
   344  0300 to 0400
   224  0400 to 0500
   159  0500 to 0600
   155  0600 to 0700
    98  0700 to 0800
    69  0800 to 0900
   312  0900 to 1000
   292  1000 to 1100
   272  1100 to 1200
   220  1200 to 1300
   268  1300 to 1400
   382  1400 to 1500
   386  1500 to 1600
   463  1600 to 1700
   607  1700 to 1800
   476  1800 to 1900
   474  1900 to 2000
   409  2000 to 2100
   369  2100 to 2200
   391  2200 to 2300
   534  2300 to 2400
 -----  ------------
  8708  Total posts

Rockn · 10-Feb-2003, 12:04 AM #5

Nothing ever gets solved in Random.....

THX Oscar.....interseting

anlore2001 · 10-Feb-2003, 12:44 AM #6

Oscar, Would you mind doing me like you did Angel, I'm curious how it looks. Thanks.

oscar51 · 10-Feb-2003, 08:20 AM #7

OK. Looks like this...

Code:

anlore2001: 849 posts since 09-06-2001

 Posts    %    Forum Name
     4  0.471  Business Applications
     0     0.  Games
     4  0.471  All Other Software
    72  8.480  Hardware
     0     0.  Development
    49  5.771  Windows 95/98/Me
    16  1.884  Windows NT/2000/XP
     0     0.  UNIX/Linux
     8  0.942  DOS/Mac/PDA/Other
     9  1.060  Web & Email
     5  0.588  Networking
     7  0.824  Security
   650  76.56  Random Discussion
     2  0.235  Reviews
    17  2.002  Site Comments & Suggestions
     6  0.706  Tips & Tricks
 -----  -----------
   849  Total posts

 Posts  Mon  Year
    16  Sep  2001
     0  Oct  2001
     5  Nov  2001
     0  Dec  2001
    11  Jan  2002
    18  Feb  2002
    91  Mar  2002
    60  Apr  2002
    52  May  2002
    24  Jun  2002
     6  Jul  2002
    17  Aug  2002
    26  Sep  2002
    14  Oct  2002
     9  Nov  2002
   165  Dec  2002
   197  Jan  2003
   138  Feb  2003 (as of today)
 -----  ---------
   849  Total posts

 Posts  Day
   132  Sun
   190  Mon
    87  Tue
   102  Wed
   103  Thu
   121  Fri
   114  Sat
 -----  -----
   849  Total posts

 Posts  Local time
    50  0000 to 0100
    52  0100 to 0200
    49  0200 to 0300
    32  0300 to 0400
    55  0400 to 0500
    45  0500 to 0600
    28  0600 to 0700
     9  0700 to 0800
    12  0800 to 0900
    17  0900 to 1000
    25  1000 to 1100
    11  1100 to 1200
     9  1200 to 1300
    11  1300 to 1400
    16  1400 to 1500
    42  1500 to 1600
    42  1600 to 1700
    45  1700 to 1800
    33  1800 to 1900
    47  1900 to 2000
    63  2000 to 2100
    65  2100 to 2200
    62  2200 to 2300
    29  2300 to 2400
 -----  ------------
   849  Total posts

P.S.: If your posts per hour local time do not look quite right, I may not have gotten your time zone adjustment correct. If not, just slide the numbers up or down as appropriate.

anlore2001 · 10-Feb-2003, 08:28 AM #8

Thank you very much Oscar.

**Davey7549** · 10-Feb-2003, 08:42 AM #9

Oscar
You will never cease to amaze me with your statistical analysis! Your work is greatly appreciated by many at TSG!

One intangible that I believe is affecting the success percentage at TSG is Guests ability to review other peoples posts and find their solutions there rather than posting. Following this line of thought the problem complexity increases over time which in my opinion has. Problems have in many cases become more specific to third party applications and\or how they have affected Windows. Through normal evolution and maturation an existing OS will become more stable.

Dave

**eddie5659** · 10-Feb-2003, 11:02 AM **#10**

Oscar

Thanks for this new thread. I see the forum I sit in 90% of the time I come here, Software, has stayed the same. The thing is, though, that had a split thru the year, the one called Games.

But, then I see Games scored nothing, so I assume you grouped them both together.

I'm curius as to what mine would be. I think a good percentage is Software, but I wonder what the others are?? Can you do mine?
Thanks

Wonder what you're gonna do next

eddie

wedor · 10-Feb-2003, 11:09 AM **#11**

Are the success rates dependant on the threads being marked "solved"? I would think a large number of people never post back to indicate a solved problem even it it was solved, they just fade away...

RandyG · 10-Feb-2003, 11:27 AM **#12**

No wedor, they are not dependant. Read what Oscar did, and he explains how he determined what was in the Solved category.

LOL, Oscar, you should start charging us!! i wanna know my score too, just cause it's a neat thing. I know how you do it, but since you have Excel setup to do this, it would be easier for you to do it, then for me to troll through it all.

**AcaCandy** · 10-Feb-2003, 05:12 PM **#13**

Quote:

Originally posted by anlore2001:
Oscar, Would you mind doing me like you did Angel, I'm curious how it looks. Thanks.

oh, aren't you glad you asked

oscar51 · 10-Feb-2003, 06:01 PM **#14**

Here's two birds with one post,

eddie followed by randy, with a few notes.

1. For those TSG members with more than 1000 or so posts, your percentages are not going to change much with time. (See RandyG's below for an example.) So maybe you could jot them down for future reference.

2. Be aware that my number for total posts is the number of 'hits' in the TSG search function and usually will not be equal to the number given in your profile.

3. I know Mike has zero time for this sort of thing, but I still think it would be neat to have a simple 'percent per forum' bar chart in each user's profile.

Code:

eddie5659: 8805 posts since 03-19-2001

 Posts    %    Forum Name
    98  1.113  Business Applications
   128  1.453  Games
  3921  44.53  All Other Software
   134  1.521  Hardware
   129  1.465  Development
   771  8.756  Windows 95/98/Me
   514  5.837  Windows NT/2000/XP
   121  1.374  UNIX/Linux
   111  1.260  DOS/Mac/PDA/Other
  1488  16.89  Web & Email
    34  0.386  Networking
   299  3.395  Security
   892  10.13  Random Discussion
    10  0.113  Reviews
   117  1.328  Site Comments & Suggestions
    34  0.386  Tips & Tricks
     2  0.022  Archive: Windows 95/98/Me
     2  0.022  Archive: Web & Email
 -----  -----------
  8805  Total posts

 Posts  Mon  Year
    26  Mar  2001
   101  Apr  2001
   209  May  2001
   300  Jun  2001
   298  Jul  2001
   461  Aug  2001
   272  Sep  2001
   522  Oct  2001
   575  Nov  2001
   623  Dec  2001
   500  Jan  2002
   527  Feb  2002
   435  Mar  2002
   374  Apr  2002
   390  May  2002
   466  Jun  2002
   394  Jul  2002
   380  Aug  2002
   529  Sep  2002
   356  Oct  2002
   292  Nov  2002
   291  Dec  2002
   418  Jan  2003
    66  Feb  2003
 -----  ---------
  8805  Total posts

 Posts  Day
  1684  Sun
  1342  Mon
  1324  Tue
  1254  Wed
   943  Thu
   898  Fri
  1360  Sat
 -----  -----
  8805  Total posts

 Posts  Local time
  1466  0000 to 0100
   944  0100 to 0200
   351  0200 to 0300
   153  0300 to 0400
    78  0400 to 0500
    39  0500 to 0600
    17  0600 to 0700
    26  0700 to 0800
    98  0800 to 0900
   192  0900 to 1000
    52  1000 to 1100
    59  1100 to 1200
    93  1200 to 1300
   327  1300 to 1400
   174  1400 to 1500
   185  1500 to 1600
   215  1600 to 1700
   190  1700 to 1800
   278  1800 to 1900
   210  1900 to 2000
   307  2000 to 2100
   649  2100 to 2200
  1112  2200 to 2300
  1590  2300 to 2400
 -----  ------------
  8805  Total posts

-----------------------------------

RandyG: 4406 posts since 06-26-2000

 Posts    %    Forum Name              (% as of Oct 2002)
   596  13.52  Business Applications          (11.9)
     9  0.204  Games                          ( 0.1)
   356  8.079  All Other Software             ( 8.3)
   504  11.43  Hardware                       (12.3)
    49  1.112  Development                    ( 0.9)
   645  14.63  Windows 95/98/Me               (15.8)
   192  4.357  Windows NT/2000/XP             ( 3.4)
     1  0.022  UNIX/Linux                     ( 0.0)
     9  0.204  DOS/Mac/PDA/Other              ( 0.2)
   589  13.36  Web & Email                    (13.4)
    65  1.475  Networking                     ( 1.5)
    89  2.019  Security                       ( 2.0)
   763  17.31  Random Discussion              (17.5)
    37  0.839  Reviews                        ( 0.8)
   366  8.306  Site Comments & Suggestions    ( 8.5)
   127  2.882  Tips & Tricks                  ( 3.0)
     2  0.045  Archive: Windows 95/98/Me      ( 0.0)
     7  0.158  Archive: Business Applications ( 0.2)
 -----  -----------
  4406  Total posts

 Posts  Mon  Year
    19  Jun  2000
   158  Jul  2000
    72  Aug  2000
   109  Sep  2000
   104  Oct  2000
    43  Nov  2000
    36  Dec  2000
    30  Jan  2001
    19  Feb  2001
    40  Mar  2001
    95  Apr  2001
    64  May  2001
    63  Jun  2001
    45  Jul  2001
    91  Aug  2001
   168  Sep  2001
    96  Oct  2001
   145  Nov  2001
    73  Dec  2001
    94  Jan  2002
   179  Feb  2002
   163  Mar  2002
   324  Apr  2002
   190  May  2002
   111  Jun  2002
   258  Jul  2002
   264  Aug  2002
   440  Sep  2002
   358  Oct  2002
   202  Nov  2002
   122  Dec  2002
   194  Jan  2003
    37  Feb  2003
 -----  ---------
  4406  Total posts

 Posts  Day
   266  Sun
   816  Mon
   805  Tue
   725  Wed
   832  Thu
   704  Fri
   258  Sat
 -----  -----
  4406  Total posts

 Posts  Local time
    96  0000 to 0100
    53  0100 to 0200
    15  0200 to 0300
     1  0300 to 0400
     2  0400 to 0500
     1  0500 to 0600
     3  0600 to 0700
     9  0700 to 0800
    35  0800 to 0900
   315  0900 to 1000
   719  1000 to 1100
   585  1100 to 1200
   362  1200 to 1300
   278  1300 to 1400
   278  1400 to 1500
   298  1500 to 1600
   330  1600 to 1700
   252  1700 to 1800
   118  1800 to 1900
    88  1900 to 2000
    99  2000 to 2100
   185  2100 to 2200
   163  2200 to 2300
   121  2300 to 2400
 -----  ------------
  4406  Total posts

angelize56 · 10-Feb-2003, 06:11 PM **#15**

Thanks Oscar! Yeah December was a bad month. I was sick and too busy to post much.

Won't happen again! Unless I die of course! Which I have no plans of my own on doing. Thanks again Oscar! Take care. angel

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