Crap Factoid

Crap Factoids

skeptic — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:43:20 -0700

The IT Skeptic introduced the concept of Crap Factoids. Crap Factoids are pure bull-excrement that almost sound like a fact, and will be presented so often that everyone will think it true. The worst perpetrators of Crap Factoids are analysts (closely followed by vendors and consulting firms).

A list of all Crap Factoids

Chokey the Chimp is the public spokesman for The IT Skeptic's Crap Factoid Early Warning Service.

About Chokey the Chimp

skeptic — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:20:32 -0700

Chokey the Chimp is the public spokesman for The IT Skeptic's Crap Factoid Early Warning Service.

Chokey the Chimp hates crap factoids(pure B.S. that almost sound like a fact, and will be presented so often that everyone will think it true).

A special case crap factoid: the survey that doesn't exist

skeptic — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 04:57:06 -0600

Chokey the Chimp has challenged two Axios survey "results" in the past as being crap factoids but I think we have a special case here: I don't believe any of the Axios surveys are real.

EasyVista HIGH danger Crap Factoid alert

skeptic — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:09:10 -0700

Chokey the Chimp issues a HIGH Crap Factoid danger alert for the EasyVista claim of "a stunning 271 percent ROI over three years with payback within 12 months ". Stunning indeed.

The ITIL Experience is subjective

skeptic — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:42:01 -0600

A while ago on LinkedIn I had this old chestnut quoted at me, so I thought I'd roast it: the Hornbill/HDI/Bruton survey "The ITIL Experience".

BMC are at the old bait and switch again over CMDB

skeptic — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:55:01 -0600

Chokey chokes! Chokey the Chimp hasn't seen such a pile of Crap in a long time. Take a look at this classic piece of vendor double-talk. Tell them the joys of owning a MacLaren F1, then describe the value your Mum derived from buying a new Daihatsu to get to the shops. Yours for only a million dollars! In fact this article isn't even describing a MacLaren: it is describing a Jetsons air-car with virtual hyperdrive.

EasyVista release Category 2 cluster of ITSM crap factoids

skeptic — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:15:24 -0600

It has been a while since Chokey the Chimp got to issue a Crap Factoid warning, but here we have a Category 2. According to an ITSM Portal report on the EasyVista survey that many of you will have seen around the traps [update: here's the original article from Staff&Line, the vendor of EasyVista], "Nearly 87% of respondents said they felt negatively toward their current service desk solution". I find it a bit rich that the article says "ITSM vendors are deliberately ‘muddying the waters’" [update: and it opens with "They say there are lies, damned lies and statistics. Sometimes though, there’s just no escaping the facts"!!!!] when this vendor survey is based on such a misleading biased statistically-invalid survey as this one, and draws such outrageous conclusions.

Firescope provides a Crap Factoids bonus - a whole collection of them

skeptic — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:11:12 -0700

We haven't had a Crap Factoid on this blog for a while, so it is time we had a good one. Look at Thriving in the Troubled Economy:
Ten ways you can slash IT costs and innovate in 2009. Firescope take Crap Factoids to a new level with a barrage of unsubstantiated anecdotal numbers. Never have I seen so many "Oh really?"s in one document. Chokey the Chimp had to have a lie-down.

Crap Factoid Alert: Implementing an IT Service Management Solution Can Save a Business More than $500,000

skeptic — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:35:59 -0600

Chokey the Chimp says today's Crap Factoid danger is HIGH. Axios Systems have released a classic piece of crap that will spread rapidly. Watch your shoe soles.

Crazy Stats

skeptic — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:50:58 -0600

Slightly related to Crap Factoids, take a look at William Vambenepe's Crazy Stats. Love it.

I've got one for William to add: "only 34 percent say that they are more effective at introducing new technologies than their competitors"