That sinking feeling you get when you find an error in a formula

Reply #11

RL-RANDOMLOGIC — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 10:10:18 GMT

I once wrote a predictor program that had a build in back-test option. I had big plans and thought

it would do very well over time. I fired it up and hit the back-test button and it spit out a 3 of 5 for

the current game. Each time the back-test button is pressed it dropped one line in the database

and then using so many games from history it would try to predict the next draw. OK, second

click, another 3of5 on one line. Woo Hoo. I clicked it again and bam a 4 of 5 hit on one line.

Reply #10

marcie — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 15:33:49 GMT

So true mistakes can give you better results sometimes..

Reply #9

eddessaknight — Sun, 27 Dec 2015 21:56:32 GMT

Even though a broken clock tells correct time twice a day, L@@K at how many times it's wrong for you!

EK

Reply #8

budward — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 04:00:16 GMT

That sinking feeling you get when you find an error and fix it and you had better results WITH the error.

Reply #7

Tialuvslotto — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 11:41:00 GMT

I know that feeling, AllenB! My rule is if it seems too good to be true, check your formulas ! And the more complex and sophisticated our spreadsheets, the more likely it is that some error is lurking somewhere.

Reply #6

Stack47 — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 05:06:05 GMT

Excellent example by showing how easy it is to misspell complicated words like until and holidays .

Reply #5

AllenB — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 03:21:49 GMT

I have found errors sometime after a few days of thinking I am really onto something. I came close to posting some startling results only to discover it was crap. I have the stinking feeling that there are more that I have not found.

Reply #4

Kola — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 19:15:08 GMT

Reply #3

JADELottery — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 16:22:02 GMT

I think this would be a pretty boring existence if nothing went wrong.

A Quantum Universe is a Fun Universe.

Thank God for Chaos.

Reply #2

marcie — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 14:26:10 GMT

I always say oh, well back to the drawing board.. keep at it untill you get it right... Happy Hoildays

Reply #1

SirMetro — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 14:22:09 GMT

eh...wait till it's a massive bid and your behind schedule and 10 minutes after sending the bid out, you realize a formula was wrong

That sinking feeling you get when you find an error in a formula

GoogilyMoogily — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 14:17:23 GMT

Did Microsoft change something in the index() formula? I found an error that I had not seen before in the last 15 years. I should have validated the spreadsheet and recorded why I made some decision more often. I don't recall why I needed to start the index at 1, but that made every number from that point forward need a -1 to fix it. Today, the resultant array was wrong. I set the index to start at 0 and remove the -1 fix and everything was better.

What mistakes have you made along the road t... [ More ]