Talk:Metric (unit)

Edited for content. Still needs the overhaul. Who in the world put part of the metric system in this? Phil.andy.graves (talk) 21:55, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

This is a highly specific usage of a very general term,.. and sooner or later it is going to have to get a qualified title and a disambig page. However there doesn't seem to be any reason to interfere until pages on alternative usages start to turn up. seglea 08:14, 26 May 2004 (UTC)

I must confess I don't reallly understand this article. Could someone give expamples of some metrics and the field they are used in? Number 0 10:26, 24 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Metrics are typically used to help make decisions. An example is Return on Investment.

metrics in a nutshell
naval metrics are a way for someone sitting at a computer trying to solve a problem without just going out and getting it fixed right the first time, sort of like having a meeting. Nothing actually gets done, but you get to talk about it —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.15.178.130 (talk) 16:09, 12 March 2007 (UTC).


 * In my distant, more youthful past I came up with a M.E.T.R.I.C.S. acronym that seemed highly appropriate:
 * More Employees Typing Rubbish Into Computing Systems.
 * The point was, of course, that the data was only as accurate as people chose to enter it. Since then I've argued for automating all metrics data collection. Any other approach is highly error-prone and non-conservative. &mdash; RJH (talk) 22:34, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

"Metrics are a system of parameters or ways of quantitative and periodic assessment of a process that is to be measured, along with the procedures to carry out such measurement and the procedures for the interpretation of the assessment in the light of previous or comparable assessments." We need something less verbose and more to the point; I can almost see the monocle and the glass of brandy in this lecturer's hand! Less is more guys. Hopefully, our more technically-inclined peers in wikipedia can edit this barrage of grandiloquence. ---philosopher2king November 2007

Stop. Stop Right Now, This could not be more wrong.
Wikipedia is not a Dictionary, and I ahve yet to find a dictionary that defines the word "Metrics" as anything close to what this article claims. The word "Metrics" can be used to describe mathematical statistics and measurements as they relate to a given field i.e. "Biometrics" but the use of the suffuix "metrics" as a free-standing word is ridiculous (unless it is describing poetry. music or the Metric system of measurement specifically), and stems primarliy from corporate culture cliche-speak, not from any real foundation in language.

This word's emergence and use in this improper context is lazy, a fallacy and should be abolished immediately. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.60.23.82 (talk) 20:47, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

drunk persons interpretation
Read it three times, I thought it made sense. My understanding of it is: solely from reading the wiki... It is a term describing the quantifying of measurement, of anything, a general term. It is one step from a massive philosophical argument. I may be wrong. Symbol-tastic. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 82.69.20.20 (talk) 01:01, 30 March 2007 (UTC).

I have to admit that in spite of the good intentions, reading this discussion page was no help either. "Quantifying of measurements"? That's tautological; measurements are quantifiable! That's like saying "dance-able ballet music"! Thanks for trying though :) By philosopher2king ---November2007

The article starts with horrendous grammar: "Metrics are a system * * *" Do multiple systems qualify as metrics? Is metrics "a" system? I have seen some attempt to define a "metric" as a performance target, including the target value and units. (I have not seen any dictionary entry that supports this.) The buzzword "Key Performance Indicator" is the title or description of the performance data to be measured. Hence one might have a "scorecard" which lists the KPI in one column, the metric (target) in the second, and the actual results in the third.Rpclod (talk) 16:20, 25 March 2008 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Pyat rublei 1997.jpg
Image:Pyat rublei 1997.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot 11:30, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

A Proper Definition is Critical
The concept of "Metrics" is a universally fundamental concept. They are how most living things relate to the universe. They are measures and without such, we cannot describe.

Sometimes metrics are physically tangible, such as time, space, temperature, pressure: - The house is 4 miles from here. - It's 3 o'clock - It's 70F outside today

... or somewhat subjective, such as employee performance, brightness, softness, sometimes expressed as adjectives - That painting uses vibrant colors - The paper tears easily

... or very subjective; desireability, attractiveness,... - She is beautiful - I really want that car

Yes, "really" is a metric, it is a subjective form of the degree the person "wants".

Note that you cannot control or improve what you do not measure. You cannot control a paint brush if you cannot measure where it is relative to the the palete or canvas. You cannot control house temperature without measuring what it is. —Preceding unsigned comment added by JWMcLeod2 (talk • contribs) 16:36, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

Proposal for article move and edits
ojoujiuiuyi uuiyi To conform to Wikipehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Metric_(unit)&action=edit#dia conventions, such as the use of singulars for topic titles, I propose moving this article to Metric (measurement standard).

Then I propose the following edits for the first paragraph of the article. I think my language is more succinct and direct. On the other hand, I probably ought to come up with a citation to support it. I'll try to find one, but does anyone else have a suitable one, assuming you agree with my change?


 * A metric is may be a standard unit of measure, such as meter or mile for length, or gram or ton for weight, or more generally, part of a system of parameters, or systems of measurement, or a set of ways of quantitatively and periodically measuring, assessing, controlling or selecting a person, process, event, or institution, along with the procedures to carry out measurements and the procedures for the interpretation of the assessment in the light of previous or comparable assessments  or it may be a methodology for expressing inherently qualitative evaluations in quantitative form, so that successive evaluations can be compared with each other in an objective manner and so that objective benchmarks can be defined. The latter type of metric is subject to challenge, as individuals can disagree over the validity of the method used to reduce qualitative data to one or more numbers. They may even disagree over whether a particular type of qualitative information can be expressed meaningfully or reliably in quantitative form at all..

I think the second paragraph needs a rewrite or omission. I'm not sure what it means, since what it seems to me to mean is at odds with the purpose of a metric: to allow one (assuming one isn't deluding oneself as to the validity of the metric) to compare what has thus far not been considered directly comparable. As far as going outside the domain is concerned, it isn't clear to me why one would be comparing, say, the performance of a stockbroker with the performance of a school teacher.

Comments? —Largo Plazo (talk) 13:34, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Can we delete this page already? "metrics" is a lazy synonym of "measurement" created to reinforce corporate groups norms. Not encyclopedic. 2A02:A03F:3DEC:4A00:418:4397:5E08:E642 (talk) 14:20, 4 September 2019 (UTC)

The new redirect on "performance indicator" is on point, well done ! 2A02:A03F:3DEC:4A00:35DB:9B24:40BF:E011 (talk) 14:20, 8 September 2019 (UTC)

In connection with this, I just came across Performance metric, which was an essay, a critique on performance metrics/indicators, and redirected it to Performance indicator as well. Largoplazo (talk) 14:38, 8 September 2019 (UTC)