I love the Leaf-blowing curve!
Rhode Island
Monday 21st of April 2008 2:05 am
I love the Leaf-blowing curve! |
 I believe "not dropping transmission" goes somewhere between "cursing" and "selecting appropreate gear" on your learning
to drive standard curve. |
 I've always wondered what "steep learning curve" actually meant, and I'm sad to say I was completely wrong in my
half-baked assumptions. Excellent read, sir.
Oh, and while I'm glad to see "Raiding" and its associated skills are off the chart in the WoW diagram, I would swear
that "Identifying real women" would be much, MUCH higher on the curve. |
 huh?
|
 Or, just put time on the vertical axis instead and then hey, hard things have a steep learning curve!
;-) |
 So this is what 5 years of college in the Education Field is supposed to be teaching me.
...huh! |
 I would like to see a curve for learning how to properly consume Oreos, with stages such as twisting apart or making
quadruply stuffed cookies. |
 Hovercraft |
 Go Wisconsin! |
 You know what they say... "Everything is bigger in Texas"
- Big Jap from Texas |
 Hey, love the website. Just wanted to see what Georgia's puzzle piece looks like. |
Virtually everyone here in the UK drives manual (aka 'stick shift') cars. I didn't realise it was such a big deal! |
I agree with what Rhode Island says...
Learning to drive manual transmission has the same curve as "learning to drive".
Because, lets face it, if you drive an automatic, you're not really driving... |
 I don't get it. My curve must look like this: __________ |
 I really dig the Tetris learning curve. Nice |
 Ooh, let's see what the California puzzle piece has on it. Bet it's the Golden Gate Bridge. Stupid Bay Area gets all
that attention. They oughta split the state, I say. We in SoCal sure don't need NoCal.
On topic--"steep learning curve" may or may not make actual sense, but I wonder if it would be possible to take it out
of common parlance now. I doubt it. I'll probably still use it. |
Ha, I told you it would be that bridge. And a darned redwood? What about Hollywood? |
 Like NY, I think the whole endeavor makes much more sense with time on the vertical axis. That's how I've always thought
of learning curves, and it also follows convention by putting the controlled variable on the horizontal axis. |
Hollywood, like the area where tourists go, is a hole. Biggest waste of time. Hollywood the industry is cool. And to be
truly smartassy, I believe it's a Sequoia tree. Bay Area rules! Neener neener neener. |
 Some of the things in the basketball learning curve seem to be out of place--I never learned to avoid a steal without
also learning how to steal. |
Wait a second, what the hell is this on the Indiana puzzle piece? A BEAVER? |
I'd like to learn Beyonce's curves. |
 The learning curve of an activity is not relative to the person learning it. An activity with a strict learning curve is
one in which there is objectively much to learn before becoming capable. |
So what's the learning curve for understanding charts of learning curves? |
 Illinois, you took my joke. You're corny. |
 I prefer a learning swerve. |
I am an IPHONE! |
 Where would "Stalling in the middle of the intersection" be on the stick-shift chart? Or should that be "how to
gracefully re-start your car in the middle of an intersection"? |
 Well, there are two usable definitions of "learning curve". The original, which you've used here, concerns the speed of
learning. The other is a reference to the difficulty of learning the basic skills required to complete a task
successfully. A graph of this second concept might have the total elapsed time on the vertical axis, representing the
time each task takes to learn. |
I'm having difficulty visualizing one of these "time on the vertical" charts. Is there one online I can check? |
 My sister has a curve. |
 10 bucks says Michigan's puzzle piece will have a car on it. |
Guess I owe you 10 bucks. Cherries! Didn't see that one coming. |
 Shouldn't cursing go before letting the clutch out of first gear?
Just wanted to represent for MD. |
 I'm commenting simply so I can see the New Jersey puzzle piece. |
 In soviet Russia curve learns you.
Thats right the soviets are hiding in Idaho. |
Sorry, have to agree that the problem with your analysis is that you put time on the wrong axis. Make time the vertical
axis and it would all make much more sense. |
I smell funny. |
 My learning curve for driving a stick shift is very steep. I am still trying to figure out how to get my feet to work
at the same time so I can even START the car.lol |
 The suggestion to put time on the vertical axis just to make the idea of the learning curve makes sense is stupid.
Sorry. California itself is still lovely.
"If you want to say that a desired skill has a "steep learning curve", this can only be true if the time-to-learn is
restricted."
Yes, that's exactly it. |
 Colorado can't talk to California like that! Bros before CO |
 Lemme guess...the Arizona puzzle piece has a cactus on it! |
Yup...and not just one, 2 biggies and some leetle ones... |
exactly colorado!
Something has a steep learning curve because there is much to learn in a very short amount of time. So, for example if
you are brought in to a new job without any training and a report due next week you've got a steep learning curve -
because you'd better get your shit together if you want to keep that job. |
 Wait, whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? |
What's the learning curve for people laughing at you as you stall out, trying to learn stick shift? |
 Hi! |
 No comment, just want to represent New Mexico! |
 We were the first state...don't we deserve a better puzzle piece? |
True dat, bro. |
Giant Sequoias are a species of redwood. |
Hey Rob--Hate to disagree with you, but doesn't a "Learning Curve" more commonly refer to the relationship between what
is to be learned and the time PERMITTED to learn it? Hence, something with a "steep" learning curve is typically more
difficult, because it involves learning complex steps in a relatively short period of time. Check out the wikipedia
article on "Learning Curve." |
That's what she said! |
Why do we have to share our puzzle piece with Massachusetts and Connecticut? Sucks to be the smallest state! |
 That Wikipedia article doesn't have any graphs. I want my money back! |
 "Dropping the long ones along the edge" - you mean to say you can put them somewhere else?! |
Illinois has lots of corn, as this puzzle piece displays. So is most of the Midwest.
You know that the Earth is much like Crispix cereal. Corn on one side, Rice on the other. |
Mahalo Rob! |
 Isn't is "Missoura"? |
How about a learning curve for playing craps? |
Loinin' Coive! |
 Lurrrnin' Currrv! |
the only time i've heard it in conversation it seemed to refer to a positively *accelerating* curve. the thing being
learned was an intellectual subject, and i thought the idea was that once you knew what the words meant and stuff,
learning "takes off", it gets *faster* |
I'll bet Pennsylvania Has a dang Amish buggy on it.
Why not a Philly cheesesteak or a Steeler Hypocycloid?
Spelling hypocycloid has a learning curve I'm sure! |
 Kentucy? That's definitely a lernin' cerf |
I didn't realize there was so much to learn blowing leaves. |
Dude, you need to pump up your entertainment curve.......
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz |
I think "Your father screams, 'Shift goddamn it!' at the intersection where the hot guy is watching you" should
definitely be on the stick chart. Despite this, I still only drive manual transmission cars... |
Time should always be represented (as the input of the graph) on the X axis of a chart. To those of you who advocate
placing time on the Y axis, I say "Fie on thee! Get ye to an algebra or statistics class!" |
How about the "Why roundabouts are better than intersections" learning curve?
|
Because colorado always seems to be right and i'd hate to spoil the trend, i'll just say this: right or wrong, that was
some decent entertainment rob. Keep it coming. |
I understand that the First State is small and has a unique shape, but this puzzle piece just looks like a weird
squiggle... A "learning squiggle" perhaps. |
Oh God, it all makes sense now! |
What about things that take a rather long time to start out, then get easier? I would think that, with learning a
language such as Russian, it takes a long time to make initial progress - learning Cyrillic and basic rules, etc. Then
you could theoretically learn the rest very quickly before leveling off. So it'd be sort of a 1/(1+exp(-x)) graph. |
I like ice cream. |
 I so had this puzzle when I was a kid. States rock! |
Love me |
Texas Sucks... you should do a learning curve on their ability to read and write... well it would actually be more like
a flat line! |
 I think a "steep" learning curve just means that each next step is much harder than the previous one. the vertical axis
would be "difficulty" and the horizontal axis would be "number of things learned". Not the way you had it. (the way you
had it is fine, but I think my way shows the steep learning curve idea better). |
Why does Ohio have a car on it?? Shouldn't that be Michagan? Ohio should have a polluted river that's been haphazardly
lit on fire on it. |
All eyes on me today! Watch a bunch of people you wouldn't trust to wash your dog decide the fate of the entire free
world.. Muahahahahahaha! |
 "Thats right the soviets are hiding in Idaho."
Moscow, Idaho, perhaps?
Figured nobody would use SD, baby! |
reppin' my state, fo sho. |
MICHIGAN rules! (so i want to believe) |
Rob, I've seen another presentation of learning curves that I think you might find interesting. It slightly modifies
the quantities depicted, substituting skill for time and difficulty for number of things learned. In this alternate
presentation, curves that are steep represent things that get too hard too fast while curves that are steep represent
things that are so easy they are |
boring. Ideally, learners stay in a nice middle zone where the difficulty of the task stays in proportion to the
learner's increasing skill. Part of the success of World of Warcraft is, I think, due to the fact that the game
continually throws new and small challenges at you. These keep you in the Goldilocks zone. |
 Big Sky Country here. Just wanted to say that as much fun as it was to read the piece on learning curves, the comments
section has been kicking my ass.
Good times! Thanks Robs, and all ;) |
We don't learn anything in Maine. We just survive. |
I think there should be a learning curve for mastering public transport.. especially in foreign countries :) |
I'd like to see a dating learning curve, or a making out learning curve. How long does it take the average guy to
figure out how to remove a bra with one hand? I'm scared that this state might have a picture of West Virginia's
sister on it... |
i think i'm even more confused than before.
i'm not from alaska. but alaska needs more coverage. i was there once. ahhh the joy of 7th grade. |
It took me 30 seconds to get through the first part of the comments, looking for someone else from Missouri. Once I
found that person, I figured out that Missouri's piece is yellow and it took me only 5 more seconds to reach the end of
the comments. I don't care what people in other states have to say. |
what is the learning curve for repeatitive motion acts... like sex? |
 I loved the tetris.
go red sox |
You don't have any learning curves which start with slow learning and get faster.
Also you spelt Kentucky incorrectly.
xxx |
I think the wow curve is pretty accurate, except soul stone rules and identifying women. Sleep needed to function is
appropriatly placed as well. The following states all blow: Indiana (you peckers have all pot holes and no street
lights), Iowa (Boring), Kansas (Gay) and Louisiana (if i wanna go scuba diving ill go to Hawaii...) |
So did we actually get credit for our peaches on this puzzle? Georgia didnt try to claim peaches as their claim to fame? |
i just assumed my state would have a toothless banjo player on the puzzle piece. Cotton--go figure. |
 I've always used the term "steep learning curve" in reference to something that is learned quickly and easily.
Apparently my correct usage has likely led to a number of misapprehensions. Who knew I was so smart? |
So a learning curve, on "learning" would be a circle, right? |
 I'm a god damn perfectly rectangular state. |
Me too wyoming, we should start a club. |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_curve |
Man we got dem der peanuts over here... Georgia peaches aint somethin that grows on trees if ya know whats i mean |
I have hardly any curves. :( |
bork |
 I love curves. |
Peanuts don't grow on trees, either. |
I read up there that "learning a language such as Russian, it takes a long time to make initial progress" But I have to
disagree. I've learned Japanese and French simultaneously and it's actually easier, for me, to learn the little stuff
fist. You never start out with things like grammar rules. You learn vocabulary first. And for Japanese, you learn the
alaphabets, one at a time. |
Hi Rob--
Fun lesson, thanks! There are 7 tetriminoes, though: I, J, L, N, S, T, Z. Two shapes are mirrors of each other (J/L and
S/Z), but in 2D Tetris at least, they cannot be placed in identical positions. Add a little more time to that curve,
maybe?
Hawaii--home of Tetris! |
Hi! I'm California's hat! |
What about Canada? No Canada? But we're your neighbors!
I guess our piece size would simply dwawf all of the US ones though... |
Tennessee pwns you. |
Nobody lives in my state! |
what happen to idaho?? |
What happened to Mexico?
Or, for that matter, any country outside of the US?
This chart has a hard learning curve. |
 Why do I have to share a picture with Rhode Island and Massachusetts? I am clearly superior. |
Managed to figure out a stick shift in two weeks. Still can't do basic addition and subtraction, most of the time. Oh
well. At least Oklahoma is pink, woo hoo! |
 Hey Connecticut... Look at me! And at least you have electoral votes! |
I'd like to see the learning curve for the poor kid that needs to learn actual geography from that budget map that makes
Mass, CT, and RI look like a couple of post-it notes on a red sock. Same for the VT/NH mess.
Have to say, though, that the New Jersey, Maryland, DC, Delaware mess is pretty spot on for what it represents.
Off to find me a pile of those sweet Georgia spuds... |
Check out Wired's article...it's not so much a learning curve as it is a forgetting curve.
http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/16-05/ff_wozniak?currentPage=all |
Learning curve to Watching TV...
|
Cram it, Illinois. |
I'm Canada! |
So SoCal doesn't need NorCal, huh? Y'all would be like Vegas without the Hoover Dam if we cut off all that precious
water you can't survive without. |
 I'm kinda like the mirror of that cotton state Alabama...no one had picked me yet. Probably because they can't read or
write there....or they don't have internet access. Please direct all your angry pro-Mississippi responses to Rob :) |
I learned how to lei your sister |
Why is there a banana on the Illinois puzzle piece? And what's with the barber pole on Maine? Are people from Maine all
about getting a haircut?
But Georgia confuses me the most, with that cluster of maggots. Gross. |
Wikipedia sucks and cannot be trusted. Only idiots believe what wikipedia has to say.
ps. where the hell is guam? Iowa sucks. Stop hogging all the election attention, Iowa. No one cares about you. Same
with you, Ohio. |
Kansas is not gay. You are the one that is gay. Your freakin corn fuel sucks Illinois, so look in the GD mirror. |
No, no, no... Don't you remember your high school algebra? Graphs are supposed to be in the form of y = f(x), not x =
f(y). The function f() determines how much time is required to gain a certain amount of knowledge, which is what we're
interested in since we want to know how difficult something is to learn, which is measured by how long it takes.
In your graphs, the f() function tells us how much can be learned in a certain amount of time, and so naturally the
easier things have greater slopes because you learn more in the same amount of time.
However, in any case, comparison of the steepness of the learning curves isn't going to work unless you use the same
scale on each graph. Otherwise all you'll ever see is this curve which indicates that more detailed aspects of things
take longer to learn, which has nothing to do with the steepness of the curve anyway. A "steep learning curve" refers
to the slope of the line, not it's derivative (change in slope over the x axis). |
Come on, New Jersey isn't even shaped like this. |
To me a steep learning curve is when you have to learn a lot in a short amount of time, and therefore your charts make
sense. I've recently had to learn all about the DNA testing process to be scientifically accurate for a film I'm
working on. I called that a steep curve. By the way, where are the provinces! |
Hmmm. I don't understand the beaver...or several of the other state pictures.
That is a seriously demented puzzle. Inquiring minds want to know...how old is that thing and where was it made? |
Get the heck off my back Indiana! |
Isn't there a learning curve for putting on underwear? |
we are underrepresented! |
Have you made a curve to represent time spent learning about learning curves?
|
whatever. |
I am twice the size of Texas, dammit!
Also, as a maths teacher, I am linking to this fine article from my website, so my sneakier HS students (who are not
supposed to know my web address, but do) will be subjected to its fine and funny analysis.
Semper Gaucho! |
We might not have the highest IQs or the most teeth, but we have PEACHES, by God, the finest peaches ever grown by
chemical fertilizers and a hatred of Yankees. |
it's all about scale. |
Rob! I think you have a wrong idea about learning curves. I always thought that a steep learning curve means that at
the beginning, you invest a lot of time and learn little, but after a while, your learning speeds up. The curve I
imagine curves towards vertical, not towards the horizontal. |
You steer an automatic. You DRIVE a stick. 'nuff said. |
I had always thought that a steep learning curve represented slower learning (i.e. a more difficult subject). If that
were the case then your axis' would be reversed. |
I quickly learned that I needed only to read bits and pieces of each graph and paragraph in order to get max amusement
for less effort.
Yes, we are surrounded by water and cabana boys here. |
I'd like to learn what the heezy is wrong with Steve from thesneeze. Can you tell him to come back? Is he ill? Last
thing he posted was a bump for you ... knowing full well that your readers are his and vice-versa. Lame, Steve. Bet he
ran off with his new toilet. |