About that "Einstein" quote

[Orrex]

We've all heard that, according to Einstein, "the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing while expecting different results."

Of course, that's not the definition of insanity, and it's not Einstein, but the internet believes it, so whatever.

However, what does the internet have to say about repeatedly doing the same thing and being frustrated by hugely inconsistent results?

We have an etsy shop. My wife does a terrific job of spreading the word online. She blogs, she tweets, she does the whole SEO thing, and basically treats it as a "real" job. Some days her efforts yield great results, measured in our number of page-views. But other days, when she does exactly the same thing, we get a small fraction of our usual views--like 10% or 20%.

She's not doing anything different, but clearly some external variables are at work.


So what does this do the "Einstein" quote?

[DebJ]

1. 'same' would have to include the same variables

Your variables are not the same as different numbers of people are online on a daily basis for many reasons.

[Orrex]

2. Well, that's kind of my point

The phrase is invariably trotted out to scold people who--at a casual glance--appear to be repeating the same thing, but in fact they are always working in a dynamic, variable system. That is, unless all of the variables are controlled--and outside of a lab they almost never are--then the appropriate response to "Einstein's" quote is "go jump in a lake."

[Wounded Bear]

3. Doesn't sound like it applies to your situation...

You frankly state that you are getting 'different results' by noting the varying responses/views.

The "Einstein" quote is more about whether or not desirable outcomes can be achieved by doing the same wrong-headed things over and over. That's why it's usually relegated to the substance abuse field. It has bled over into real life apparently.

And the other thing...you may want to check your facts. Is she really doing the exact same thing on those days when she has a higher or lower response? Of course, page hits on the internets is kind of like brick and mortar retail. Sometimes there's just not anybody out there.

[Orrex]

5. Again, that's kind of my point

Since--outside of laboratory conditions--you can't repeat anything exactly, and since you can't control (or even know) all of the variables, "Einstein's" admonition serves no purpose except to scold.

I can see where it might have some value when discussing substance abuse, in a sort of "day by day" effort at encouragement, but when it's applied in a broader sense, I don't find much value in it.

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Reboot Windows ten times, get ten different results ...

there's something insane about that, but it ain't trying again.

[Chan790]

6. From an outside perspective...

and having not seen what she's actually doing, but having done internet marketing before...widely inconsistent results from day-to-day and week-to-week suggests that what she's doing isn't having a large impact. It's having some impact, but generally wide fluctuations means that she's getting visits that are being driven externally.

Let me see if I can explain. I've seen your chainmail work and if I remember who your wife is, her artwork; I'm going to assume the contents of the etsy store are similar. If you're getting your name and store on say, the page of the local SCA or Ren Faire, but not getting a lot of effective market saturation otherwise. (There is market saturation that is ineffective. If you sell trees and you're more well-known among acrobats than arborists...that's ineffective market saturation.)

Back to the Ren Faire. If you're getting a mention there but not driving business separate from that, then your results will fluctuate with their exposure. Your own daily effort level will drive pageviews and sales less than the number of people who go to the Ren Faire page looking for period artistry sellers...which is entirely out of your control.

If I can suggest a book (I think this is one field where people need to remain continually learning), everything I knew when I first became interested in social media (as someone in NPO management rather than sales), I learned from Shama Kabani and her book Zen of Social Media Marketing. She writes in a clear and concise manner, unlike a lot of other people in that field that use complex jargon and try to be as inaccessible as possible so that you'll give up and hire them to do your SEO and Marketing. In addition, Kabani continually updates her book, accessible online for free to previous purchasers, as the industry changes and her own expertise increases: it's a living document.

[TrogL]

7. One of my synths would play a different note every time I played the same key

Then I noticed some yellow crusty stuff on one of the sliders.

Looks like my old tom cat (since deceased) peed on it.

Time for a new MIDI controller.