Testimonials

I am a teacher, and part of my student's grade is based on an in-class response to questions. I noticed that on some days, I was calling on the students who usually don't have the answers, and then on other days, I called on the better students.

To solve this, I produced a truly random class list for every class meeting. Now I don't have to think about who knows what, I just read the next name in the list.

—Jerid Krulish

I am using the random sequence generator to take a 15% sample of the archaeological potsherds I am studying. More specifically, I am studying the ceramic vessels and fragments collected, over the course of eight years, from an early Spanish colonial town in Central America. The town was occupied for only a generation, so there was minimal change through time in ceramic style. For each excavation unit and level, I analyze all potsherds that include handles, rims, painted decoration, unusual clay characteristics, and the like. These are my diagnostic sherds. The remainder do not provide enough information to make analyzing and recording each one individually worthwhile, but I don't want to neglect them entirely, as in certain contexts they make up a high percentage of what we have. So, I use your random sequence generator to help me select 15% of this non-diagnostic remainder for study. Thank you for the help.

—Jeb J. Card, Department of Anthropology, Tulane University