Who wants to hear a GA Tech nerd story? - Subaru Enthusiasts Car Club of the Sierras

JC · 2006-10-01, 06:22 PM

As sent to me by the individual...

Well, let me tell you about my ASDL experience at Lenox Mall.

So there I was, trying to buy a pair of pants. Talk about a thoroughly confusing experience! Do I want boot cut, or relaxed fit? What's the difference between wrinkle free, wrinkle resistant, no wrinkles, no iron, and never iron? After interviews were conducted with subject matter experts, I realized that the term subject matter experts can sometimes be misleading.

I tried to bring sixteen pairs of pants into the fitting room, and he informed me that I could only bring five. I told him that five cases was simply not enough to explore the combinatorial options space of his selections. He said, "the rule is you can only bring five" and I said "well, I need to run sixteen cases to build an appropriate model to make my purchase today." The salesman thought I was a little slow because I didn't seem to be catching on.

He didn't seem to understand. Fortunately, I had my computer in the trunk, so I brought it out and tried to explain it to him.

I said, "there must be at least 27 million ways to buy a pair of pants." and he said, "huh? We only have ten options." And I said, "how did you go from the nearly infinite space of combinations to only ten, and why did you pick those ten?" Because as you know, it's a pet peeve of someone's when we say "there are three options" without explaining how we arrived at those three. A simple morphological matrix (attached) reveals that there are in fact over 27 million ways to buy a pair of pants. I merely highlighted the cells for the pants that I wanted and said "I want THESE." They don't have those...

Using JMP, I made a DOE that could make a reasonable model of the pants problem with only two trips to the fitting room, which naturally minimized the expenditure of my valuable time inside the store.

For some reason, I was not asked to leave comments on their website describing my satisfaction with my purchase today...

Pat

tysonK · 2006-10-01, 06:51 PM

too bad you are not Khamis. you'd never would have had this problem.

ScottyS · 2006-10-02, 07:43 AM

As you can see, the world would be a much more efficient place without pants.

JonnydaJibba · 2006-10-02, 07:54 AM

Please tell me why one would do this just to buy a pair of pants?

sperry · 2006-10-02, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonnydaJibba

Please tell me why one would do this just to buy a pair of pants?

They didn't... they wrote this after the fact to be funny to other nerds.

MPREZIV · 2006-10-02, 09:13 AM

I hope the other nerds got a kick out of this... I didn't.

JonnydaJibba · 2006-10-02, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sperry

They didn't... they wrote this after the fact to be funny to other nerds.

Ah, ok. Well it is funny that he tried to bring 16 pairs of pants into a dressing room

JC · 2006-10-02, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sperry

They didn't... they wrote this after the fact to be funny to other nerds.

You'd be surprised. One of our professors showed us a similar matrix he used to select the car he bought. The kid who sent the e-mail supposed made one to select his wife. Both significantly more complex than the one I posted mind you.

sperry · 2006-10-02, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JC

You'd be surprised. One of our professors showed us a similar matrix he used to select the car he bought. The kid who sent the e-mail supposed made one to select his wife. Both significantly more complex than the one I posted mind you.

Yeah, but did he really walk out to the car to get the laptop to show it to the salesman? Highly unlikely, but makes for a good story.

JC · 2006-10-02, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sperry

Yeah, but did he really walk out to the car to get the laptop to show it to the salesman? Highly unlikely, but makes for a good story.

I certainly wouldn't put it past him. I hope he didn't though.

M3n2c3 · 2006-10-02, 05:34 PM

I must not be a nerd. Yay!

qksubi · 2006-10-03, 03:39 AM

JC you dont need pants in hotlanta!!

dknv · 2006-10-03, 10:44 AM

And what is this guy's major?

And, does he grow up to be a highway engineer, and is his process the reason our highway system is so screwed up these days? j/k

2006-10-01, 06:51 PM	#2
tysonK warehouse SECCS Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: SoCal... Posts: 6,253 Car: 04 Evo 99 Cadillac Class: street de le mod	too bad you are not Khamis. you'd never would have had this problem. __________________ Anjali? Anjali?

2006-10-02, 07:43 AM	#3
ScottyS EJ205 Real Name: It is real! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: RNO Posts: 2,367 Car: 1998 Impreza Wagon, 1991 Legacy Turbo Sedan, 2003 Nissan Xterra Class: tvFree Yes, I'll fix it for you. Again.	As you can see, the world would be a much more efficient place without pants. __________________ "Trend Number One is that people aren't getting any smarter." Dogbert

2006-10-02, 07:54 AM	#4
JonnydaJibba EJ207 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Reno/Sparks, Nevada Posts: 3,482 Car: 2000 2.5RS Class: RestNPeace Master Slurper.	Please tell me why one would do this just to buy a pair of pants? __________________ "Why do chicks tell you to call and then not answer....so gay." "Cuz girls are fags I dunno"

2006-10-02, 09:13 AM	#6
MPREZIV Token Real Name: Le Stig Afrique? Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: sitting next to a big yellow box Posts: 3,589 Car: 2001 Impreza 2.5 RS Class: 05 TDSP No, I won't work on your car. F your car*	I hope the other nerds got a kick out of this... I didn't. __________________ "...these condoms have a topical anesthetic to reduce sensitivity, so you can last longer. What a paradox. You can't feel a thing, but you can f*ck for HOURS..."

2006-10-02, 05:34 PM	#11
M3n2c3 EJ205 Real Name: Jeremiah Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dayton, NV Posts: 1,888 Car: 2005 Impreza 2.5RS, 2000 Forester L Class: RNP sometimes (see motto) "Kids are ruining autocross."	I must not be a nerd. Yay! __________________ Small red text that looks curious at first glance but is ultimately inconsequential

2006-10-03, 03:39 AM	#12
qksubi Assault Mechanic Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Reno Posts: 996 Car: 13 Sti Hatch Satin white Class: TBSP/TT-2 Aim for the EYES!	JC you dont need pants in hotlanta!!

2006-10-03, 10:44 AM	#13
dknv EJ207 Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: 39n53, 119w90 Posts: 2,698 Car: RX-8 Class: CS maybe	And what is this guy's major? And, does he grow up to be a highway engineer, and is his process the reason our highway system is so screwed up these days? j/k

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