Stata The Stata listserver
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date index][Thread index]

Re: st: 2 Prof. Nick


From   "Neil Shephard" <[email protected]>
To   [email protected]
Subject   Re: st: 2 Prof. Nick
Date   Tue, 4 Mar 2003 11:22:22 +0000

Not wanting to start a long digression on 'netiquette', but...

Lee Chuntao wrote...
> therotically we can learn everything from the manual.
> in this regard, the list is needless
> 

I'd disagree on three accounts...

a) there are innumerable user-written ado's that are not covered in 
the manuals.
b) help is often solicited for the most appropriate method of 
analysis/availability of statistical procedures within Stata.
c) bugs in programs are often reported and fixed through the list.

> i think the answer of the type nick gave me should be band.
> 1 can answer my question in detail, or don't bother to answer.
> 
The question you asked (How can I draw a bell curve (the density 
function of standard normal) in stata), was answered by Nick's 
original response, as it is documented in the graphics manual how 
to do this.

> actually i have written the following code to generate the bell curve, i
> just don't know if there are short ways:
> 
> 
> clear
> set obs 1000
> gen t = (uniform()-.5)*7
> gen x = sqrt(2*_pi)*exp(-t^2/2)
> sort t
> gr x t, c(l) symbol(i) pen(6)
> 
> i am afraid that someone who always answer questions without detail is 2
> rude
> 

If you were seeking advice on a more efficent way of achieving what 
you had already coded then thats the question you should have 
asked (and you should have included the code in the original post).

I've used Statalist and various other mailing lists/newsgroups for 
some time now in soliciting help with problems ranging from 
statistics, stata, and linux admin.  I don't post often, but learn a lot 
from reading other people's solutions to postings.  A lot of people 
(myself included) when they first start posting pose a question 
which they think is reasonable, and then get 
annoyed/offended/frustrated when they don't get the explicit answer 
they require.  This is because if you want a specific answer you 
have to ask a specific question.

There is advise on mailing list etiquette in general at http://list-
etiquette.com/  (and also other sites listed in 
http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Etiquette/?tc=1)
 but the Stata FAQ should also be read (see bottom of email for 
URL).

Regards

Neil


Neil Shephard
Genetics Statistician
ARC Epidemiology Unit, University of Manchester
[email protected]
[email protected]

"Contrariwise, if it was so, it might be; and if it
were so it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's
logic" - Tweedledee (Alice Through the Looking Glass)
*
*   For searches and help try:
*   http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/findit.html
*   http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
*   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/



© Copyright 1996–2024 StataCorp LLC   |   Terms of use   |   Privacy   |   Contact us   |   What's new   |   Site index