Sure counting words has its place, and it can be a very revealing information gathering tool, but as linguist Geoffrey Nunberg points out in his piece "The I's Don't Have It" that aired on NPR last Tuesday, "counting words isn't very revealing if you aren't listening to them too." The internet makes everyone a linguist, and everyone is trying to find fault in the new health bill or the most recent political speech. But, are people blindly counting I's and finding everyone to be a narcissist when really they're using an imperial I to show deference? The media seems to be suffering from confirmation bias. If they're looking to support an opinion, they will find evidence.
Sometimes I feel as though I suffer from confirmation bias in my designs. Do I do it this way because it's more usable, or just because everyone does it that way -- making it more familiar and easier on new users? Stand behind your design decision and don't do what's commonplace or easy. Do what makes the most sense.
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