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Microsoft Prediction Lab

posted by n1 on Tuesday September 30 2014, @08:12PM   Printer-friendly
from the because-they-always-get-it-wrong dept.
/dev/random

AnonTechie writes:

Would SN Members like to predict the outcome of upcoming events?

In the Microsoft Prediction Lab you can make predictions about upcoming events and view the combined predictions of the crowd. The Microsoft Prediction Lab team is excited to push the boundaries of forecasting technology, including how to ask questions (data collection), how to keep billions of related likelihoods consistent (data analytics), and how to convey complex quantitative information usefully (data visualization).

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 30 2014, @08:20PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 30 2014, @08:20PM (#100109)

    It's a...

  • (Score: 1) by Horse With Stripes on Tuesday September 30 2014, @08:25PM

    by Horse With Stripes (577) on Tuesday September 30 2014, @08:25PM (#100112)

    Did it predict that the next version Windows would be called 'Windows 10'? Well, it is. They skipped '9' to show how big an improvement the new release is going to be ... by returning the Start Button.

    They should have skipped '10' and gone straight to '11' because envying knows '11' is better than '10'.

    • (Score: 2) by MrGuy on Tuesday September 30 2014, @08:37PM

      by MrGuy (1007) on Tuesday September 30 2014, @08:37PM (#100113)

      This one goes up to 11!

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 30 2014, @08:52PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 30 2014, @08:52PM (#100117)

        Just make 10 louder

        • (Score: 2) by EvilJim on Wednesday October 01 2014, @01:08AM

          by EvilJim (2501) on Wednesday October 01 2014, @01:08AM (#100206) Journal

          lol, cant remember which rapper was endorsing headphones that have 11 on the dial :) they must be better.

    • (Score: 1) by N3Roaster on Tuesday September 30 2014, @09:57PM

      by N3Roaster (3860) <roaster@wilsonscoffee.com> on Tuesday September 30 2014, @09:57PM (#100130) Homepage Journal

      Alternate theories: Apple envy (we can call our OS 10, too) or a blatant attempt to snub the Cirno fandom.

    • (Score: 2) by Tork on Tuesday September 30 2014, @11:01PM

      by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday September 30 2014, @11:01PM (#100156)

      Did it predict that the next version Windows would be called 'Windows 10'?

      I wish it had predicted the anti-Microsoft cheap-shots that would be taken on a site that would one day like to distinguish itself from Slashdot. Hint: This article is about predicting things like elections.

      --
      🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈

      • (Score: 1) by Horse With Stripes on Tuesday September 30 2014, @11:59PM

        by Horse With Stripes (577) on Tuesday September 30 2014, @11:59PM (#100185)

        Tork,
        Surely you can tell the difference between a joke and an anti-Microsoft statement? The inclusion of the Spinal Tap reference should have beed a dead giveaway.

        HwS

        • (Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday October 01 2014, @12:07AM

          by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday October 01 2014, @12:07AM (#100189)

          Surely you can tell the difference between a joke and an anti-Microsoft statement? The inclusion of the Spinal Tap reference should have beed a dead giveaway.

          Do you know what 'cheap-shot' means?

          --
          🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈

  • (Score: 3, Funny) by forsythe on Tuesday September 30 2014, @08:53PM

    by forsythe (831) on Tuesday September 30 2014, @08:53PM (#100119)

    From the source:

    <script>
              // Must be first. IE10 mobile viewport fix
              if ("-ms-user-select" in document.documentElement.style && navigator.userAgent.match(/IEMobile\/10\.0/)) {
                      var msViewportStyle = document.createElement("style");
                      var mq = "@-ms-viewport{width:auto!important}";
                      msViewportStyle.appendChild(document.createTextNode(mq));
                      document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(msViewportStyle);
              }
    <script>

  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by mcgrew on Tuesday September 30 2014, @09:02PM

    by mcgrew (701) <publish@mcgrewbooks.com> on Tuesday September 30 2014, @09:02PM (#100122) Homepage Journal

    The Microsoft Prediction Lab team is excited to push the boundaries of forecasting technology, including how to ask questions (data collection), how to keep billions of related likelihoods consistent (data analytics), and how to convey complex quantitative information usefully (data visualization).

    Granted, but what the quoted text translates to is they're doing surveys. It's exactly what my shop was doing in the 1990s. We had psychologists, sociologists, statisticians, etc. It was strange stuffing envelopes with a room full of PhDs. My job was to write the database program.

    They had no clue how badly it would turn out. Out of a mailing of 100,000 they had 30,000 returns, an exceptionally higher number than normal.

    98% were overwhelmingly negative, often violently so. That survey was buried FAST.

    --
    mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org

  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by nyder on Tuesday September 30 2014, @09:32PM

    by nyder (4525) on Tuesday September 30 2014, @09:32PM (#100126)

    No matter if MS makes an accurate prediction, they will still market it wrong.

    • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 01 2014, @09:11AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 01 2014, @09:11AM (#100367)

      The day Microsoft makes something that doesn't suck is probably the day they start making vacuum cleaners.

  • (Score: 3, Funny) by DECbot on Tuesday September 30 2014, @11:27PM

    by DECbot (832) on Tuesday September 30 2014, @11:27PM (#100169) Journal
    Lets see if I can do this.
    • I predict in the near future, Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 7
    • MS Office will require network connectivity to run
    • and the Microsoft Prediction Lab will cease operation

         
    Oh, this is fun.

    • Windows sales will continue to slip until the release of Windows $notyetofficallynamed_9 after which they will stay steady.
    • Microsoft Web Office will become available on the XBox, and later web versions of all of MS's software will be available on XBox.

         
    Let's see...

    • Microsoft will abandon making all types of hardware, save for Xboxs, and focus on its core product: software.
    • Microsoft will buy Red Hat. RHEL/Fedora will henceforth be called Windows OS 10.
    --
    cats~$ sudo chown -R us /home/base

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 01 2014, @10:30AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 01 2014, @10:30AM (#100381)
    Wonder if they can predict how much of their data is going to be poisoned by pranksters, and which of it is poison? ;)