Basic question about the graph

Newbee
1

Exhibit A:

image
image.png1158Ă—832 67.2 KB

There is one place with a notable absence of red: Anything past the akrasia horizon. But why? And anticipating a certain answer: Why is there a YBR then?

1 Like
2

Where are you expecting to see red?

3

red
red.jpg1416Ă—899 224 KB

Which brings me to the next question: Why is there danger zone beyond the target goal date?

1 Like
4

Not sure why it goes past the target date, but it makes sense to me that it stops at the akrasia horizon, since you could set the rate to zero for that date if you wanted to. I view the red portion as dangerous precisely because I’m fully committed to it. I can’t change the rate for that portion.

5

but why is there a YBR beyond the akrasia horizon then? You could change that one too. You don’t know the road will take that course. So why does this argument not apply to the road?

With the visual road editor you can even change the road within the akrasia horizon. So uncertainty about the future is perhaps not the most compelling argument anymore. Don’t know if that was possible with the old one, too.

I admit it’s a bit of a theoretical discussion but I’m a simple man. I like things to make sense. :slight_smile:

6

For me it’s not a question of graph accuracy. It’s about signaling to the user that this portion of the graph is locked in. I don’t see any problem with continuing the YBR past the akrasia horizon because that’s useful for long-term planning, which is one way Beeminder provides value. But it’s still helpful to have a visual cue that, up to the akrasia horizon, I’m locked in.

I don’t think these two things are mutually exclusive.

2 Likes
7

I can totally get behind that! And I would love to be able to define the red area like this:

Red Area: Zone of guaranteed derailment that is set in stone, locked in, can not be changed anymore.

Except it is not: That zone bleeds into the YBR on one side. So the definition would have to be:

Red Area: Danger Zone of guaranteed derailment that can not be changed anymore. Except where it overlaps with the YBR because then it’s not! No danger there! Still locked in though.

Now if red does not equal danger but being locked in – why is the YBR not red within the horizon? (as stupid as this question sounds)

So if red does not mean danger and it does not exclusively mean locked in… What does it mean?

I guess it’s just me but I prefer my graphs to be less wishy-washy. :man_shrugging:

2 Likes
8

Yeah, it might make a little more sense if it didn’t include one-half of the YBR. :wink:

2 Likes
9

I think the red is meant to denote the akrasia horizon, and that you can’t move your yellow brick road into that area within that time period… but you certainly can change things below the yellow brick road by retroratcheting.

(Also, it might just not look good with that dull red over the yellow. :stuck_out_tongue: )

3 Likes
10

Oh that’s it! Wonderful!

red area = area the YBR’s centerline may not intersect

A concise definition! Now my inner mathematician is happy :slight_smile:
Now what’s left is to add @shanaqui’s explanation to the graph legend explainy part of the goal page where the colours of the datapoints are explained and so on.

(Also my British dictionary really wants me to write “centreline” (!) instead of “centerline”. I was raised on British spelling but this just hurts. Maybe it is finally time to join the dark side and abandon the British spelling)

1 Like