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Author Topic: The reasonableness checker is unreasonable Post a Reply Back to Topics
jrsva

Champion Author
Virginia

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Message Posted: Sep 9, 2011 10:06:36 PM

GB’s reasonableness checker for prices seems a bit nutty right now.
I got this message while posting a price for premium —
“4.05 seems high. Did you mean 3.05?”
Someone please tell me where I can get premium (or even regular) for $3.05 these days.

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jrsva
Champion Author Virginia

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Message Posted: Sep 14, 2011 10:02:45 PM

Today I entered $3.93 for regular at a small country store (expected to be high) and the reasonableness checker had no complaints. That is 45¢ above the state average of $3.48. It landed near the top of the state-high list, the only station on that list outside of the northern Virginia high-price area.
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gspecilk236
Veteran Author Harrisburg

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Message Posted: Sep 14, 2011 6:35:41 AM

Wow I did not even know there was a reasonableness checker. I haven't gotten a message so far.
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jrsva
Champion Author Virginia

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Message Posted: Sep 13, 2011 11:42:50 PM

Looking at today’s GB Blog one sees that the hi/lo range can be close to $1.00 in some areas. Perhaps the algorithm should compare an entry to the average price for the same grade and the same state, showing a warning if the entry is not within ±50¢ of the average. That might put up a few false warnings but very few.

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kwzh
Champion Author San Jose

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Message Posted: Sep 12, 2011 2:18:57 AM

1.00 is way too large a spread -- I'd guess something like 0.40, or measure it in terms of standard deviations instead of absolutes.
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drivefast99
Champion Author Greensboro

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Message Posted: Sep 11, 2011 8:48:19 PM

I like kwzh's idea. What if the algorithm looked at the average price for each grade (including diesel) and +/- 1.00.
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CampKohler
Champion Author Sacramento

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Message Posted: Sep 11, 2011 5:15:10 PM

Does it even check for diesel? I seem to be able to put anything in there without it hiccupping.
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jrsva
Champion Author Virginia

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Message Posted: Sep 11, 2011 7:40:51 AM


Virginia prices range from $3.30 to 3.89 for regular and $3.48 to 4.39 for premium, so $4.05 is well inside the range. I think kwzh has the right idea for the problem and the fix.
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kwzh
Champion Author San Jose

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Message Posted: Sep 10, 2011 11:02:48 PM

Permanently solve the problem? Probably not. As prices climb and cause the previously unreasonable number to be reasonable, we'd find a flood of people who can't remember how they set that limit a few months ago...

Anyway, I assume that the algorithm adapts to the current price range, rather than needing to be periodically reset by someone; I'd rather keep that, than be expected to update some hard limits every now and then. In fact, I'd probably just set extreme limits (1.00 - 10.00) just to avoid the annoying dialog box, and that would render it useless. Let's keep the algorithm, but fix it.

Wild guess: the algorithm ignores fuel type when checking reasonableness. (Current VA prices seem to be about 3.50 for regular, so the 3.05 guess does seem more likely in that context.) Fix: determine appropriate limits for each fuel type separately.
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CampKohler
Champion Author Sacramento

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Message Posted: Sep 10, 2011 1:01:47 PM

Some time ago before the reasonableness checker was checking for reasonableness, I suggested that each member be allowed to set his own limits. That would take the storage of only two prices per member and would permanently solve the problem.
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ziyulu
Champion Author Oklahoma City

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Message Posted: Sep 10, 2011 9:21:48 AM

You can get regular gasoline for about $3 per gallon in Mexico.
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NHLiveFree
Champion Author New Hampshire

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Message Posted: Sep 9, 2011 10:45:11 PM


An unreasonable reasonableness checker sounds just right for GB and PD's Newsville.
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