Measurements/Metrics/Analysis/Judgment Rikard Edgren
At www.context-driven-testing.com you can read “Metrics that are not valid are dangerous.”
I believe this is true, but I would rather prefer “Metrics are dangerous.”
Uninterpreted measurements are not bad by themselves, but when value is added to them, they become metrics, and dangerous because they state specific things without considering a lot of other things, that actually might be much more important.
If measurements are used together with knowledge of details, you might have an analysis that is fruitful.
But at many times, sound judgment not only is enough; it is better.
Measurements/Metrics are probably useful for dead things, like manufacturing objects, but m/m are not good for complex things involving people, e.g. software testing. Metrics uses numbers to reduce the complexity and thereby the “truth” disappears.
[…] Know?, by Cem Kaner. Metrics, Schmetrics, by Matthew Heusser. Meaningful Metrics, by Michael Bolton Measurements/Metrics/Analysis/Judgment, by Rikard […]