Originally Posted by
njkayaker
The easy first step (by itself) produces no useful knowledge.
The last step is pretty much required (especially since the typical thing is to assume it's much larger than it is in reality).
A) The first step starts the path to useful knowledge and the post to which I was responding got it wrong. B) What's stopping you from taking the second?
Originally Posted by
njkayaker
Not really in engineering (which balances the cost of something with the benefit).
Now you're adding additional concerns not present in the original discussion. At any rate, it's impossible to calculate a cost benefit ratio, if one doesn't acknowledge a benefit exists.