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There's more than one instance where examples have come up: http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/11/google...


(thread resurrection!)

According to Mother Jones in 2013[1], Google hands over the data roughly 89% of the time. I think it's fair to say that when they fought it this time, it was an exception.

[1] http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/06/google-microsoft...


His point is still correct. "The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data.'"


Do you have a source for this quote? Google didn't turn up anything meaningful but I'd like to give proper attribution when I hang it on my wall.


The attribution is arguably to Raymond Wolfinger who actually said the opposite, "The plural of anecdote is data", supposedly at a seminar at Stanford in the 60's or 70's. It also could be attributed to Roger Brinner, who said it to congress while testifying in 2012. I'd argue that it belongs unattributed, since it makes logical sense and no one ever attributes the phrase "the sky is blue" to anyone either.

http://blog.revolutionanalytics.com/2011/04/the-plural-of-an...

http://freakonomics.com/2010/04/29/quotes-uncovered-whats-th...

http://www.c-span.org/video/?307248-1/lessons-president-calv...




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