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).

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"

Crap Factoid Alert 370 percent ROI from ITSM

skeptic — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:28:36 -0700

Chokey the Chimp warns of a moderate Crap Factoid in the wild, with our old friends at BMC claiming a 370 percent ROI over 30 months on implementation of BMC's ITSM v7. One would struggle to swallow that kind of number from any business case, but given BMC's recent high-level bullshitting, Chokey definitely calls "CRAP!".

Crap Factoid Alerts: Strong Commitment to ITIL3, 72% trained, 94% planning, 89% predictable costs....

skeptic — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 12:24:33 -0700

An ITIL V3 report from Sunrise Software is rich in crap factoids, since the report itself suffers from all the methodological deficiencies we have described before. Mercifully this one may not get much airtime so we rate the risk Medium.

Crap Factoid Alert: one third of sites have completed a CMDB

skeptic — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:49:32 -0600

Here is a high Crap Factoid alert from Chokey the Chimp:
We recently demolished the EMA paper on CMDB adoption but nevertheless the paper in question is being misquoted by bITaPlanet as saying that "there’s been a dramatic jump in the number of companies that have completed their CMDB, from just 9 percent in 2006 to one-third in 2008". This is nonsense but it is nonsense that is now turning up elsewhere. Be on alert and keep the CFirehose ready.

a back-of-an-envelope re-analysis of Forrester and BMC's own CMDB research

skeptic — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:23:24 -0600

This post has been podcast.

[Updated June 2009: the paper, entitled "The Total Economic Impact of the BMC Atrium CMDB Solution" is here.]

Several readers argue well that ROI is not the right measure for a CMDB, but nevertheless management want to know what they get for their money, and BMC's own research suggests "not much".

Crap Factoid: CMDB saves $1M - The IT Skeptic

skeptic — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:59:39 -0600

A podcast of the original blog post Crap Factoid Alert: CMDB savings of more than $1 million per year .

This is a CATEGORY 1 Crap Factoid alert from Chokey the Chimp at the IT Skeptic's Crap Factoid Warning Service. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. Be on EXTREME danger alert for CF "CMDB savings of more than $1 million per year". BMC and Forrester are shovelling it.