FlowingData reached a long awaited milestone yesterday – 1,000+ subscribers. Thank you to everyone who has subscribed, commented on, and linked to FlowingData. To extend my thanks, I’m running a (very easy) contest to win Edward Tufte’s milestone book – The Visual Display of Quantitative Information.
Reaching 1,000 Subscribers
I started FlowingData ten months ago not really knowing what to do with it. My new hosting plan came with a free domain, so I thought, hey, FlowingData. One month in, I started this blog to convince people that statistics was more than their least favorite class in college.
Since then, it has been my goal to reach 1,000 subscribers. It has been my goal to find 1,000 people interested in data or get them interested in it. This happened yesterday. FlowingData now has 1,025 subscribers – thanks to all of you!
How to Win Visual Display
So now I’m going to make it really easy for you to win a copy of Edward Tufte’s Visual Display. All you have to do is leave a comment on any new post (this one included) during the next 10 days. On March 31, I’ll randomly select a winner. The more comments you leave, the higher the chances are of winning.
The comment should add to the conversation, and trackbacks and pingbacks don’t count. That’s it. If you have a valid mailing address that Amazon can deliver to, you can win. Oh, and make sure you leave a valid email address so that I can contact you when you win. Good luck and again, thank you, everyone.
Next Step: 5,000 Subscribers
Let’s get more people talking about data and visualization and find those who already are. I know that there are hundreds of thousands of people we haven’t reached yet. If you could take a few seconds to email one friend about FlowingData, I will super appreciate it.
Hi That’s Fantastic, Would like to get my hands on this book.
Do you consider comments on any post or just this one?
PS: Is this already counting? :)
Comments on any new post from today to March 30 will count, and yes, the comment you just left counts! And I will be nice, and not randomly select myself as the winner.
Longtime lurker, but never commented. You’ve brought me out of the woodwork!
Nathan, I’m going to give you a bump in my blog shortly to help you reach the next milestone. If I had to choose one book that is the most influential in Data Visualization, it would be this one, hands down.
Everyone should own it!
All I can say is congratulations. If you’ve hit 1k subscribers, your reaching a large audience, and have to be doing something very, very right. Perhaps a long tail graph would be in order? Plot the position of flowing data vs. the vast hordes of bloggers, vs. the a-list?
Love it so far, and I’ve only been here a few days.
Count me in. Thanks for the contest.
Congratulations on your achievement Nathan. You definitely provide some excellent content here for all of us. Cheers :)
Count me in. Btw, a good blog indeed.
Count me in. Btw, a good blog indeed.
I never win these contests, but a great way to get comments nonetheless.
I never win these contests, but a great way to get comments nonetheless.
I’ve really enjoyed your posts so far and look forward to many more. Congratulations on 1k.
I’ve really enjoyed your posts so far and look forward to many more. Congratulations on 1k.
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I don’t need to win a copy of the book – it’s already a prized possession!
But you certainly deserve the kudos and attention you’re getting. Thanks for doing it!
I don’t need to win a copy of the book – it’s already a prized possession!
But you certainly deserve the kudos and attention you’re getting. Thanks for doing it!
I have enjoyed this site for a while now. Thanks!
Curious how you account for “subscribers”. Since I do not write a blog myself, I am not in on the business model. Does feedburner give you stats on subscribers to the RSS feed? If so, do they distinguish between readers used? I consider myself subscribed because I added your feed to my iGoogle page…
i love this site! thanks for the inspiration. :)
I never win but love the site and would definitely enjoy the book IF I won!!!
In this information age, with so much data being generated and collected, the work you are doing to analyze and visualize this data is important and too-often overlooked.
I would love to read this book. If I don’t win it, I’ll probably check it out from the library.
I’ve never commented before, but that’s my favourite picture book ever, and I’m a comics collector, so that says something.
Thank you for the kind words, everyone!
Huh. I just subscribed yesterday, that’s kind of cool. Can’t really say if I love the site or not yet, as I just subscribed. But giving away a book that I’ve been meaning to buy is a good start.
Thanks for the contest!
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Book contest? I’m in!
You’ve helped to change the way I look at data!
impressive method for converting visitors into more than lurkers. What would a viz of the people using this forum for entry into the competition will be newcomers?
impressive method for converting visitors into more than lurkers. What would a viz of the people using this forum for entry into the competition will be newcomers?
Chances are, i won’t win.
Chances are, i won’t win.
This is fun. I am in for the lottery!
This is fun. I am in for the lottery!
Came here via this post:
http://www.stat.columbia.edu/~cook/movabletype/archives/2008/03/nathan_yaus_con.html
and have subscribed.
Came here via this post:
http://www.stat.columbia.edu/~cook/movabletype/archives/2008/03/nathan_yaus_con.html
and have subscribed.
I would love a copy of any Tufte book.
Hi, Already have it, but some bastard I lent it to put a giant scrape on the cover.
Nice way to get readers to your blog. I saw a reference to your give away on another site and came over here. Now I have added your site to my RSS feed list.
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Nathan, congratulations with your 1,000 subscribers! I am impressed with the speed you got this size of audience, and the quality of your blog (I guess these 2 are somehow strongly correlated).
Congratulations, Nathan!!
I can’t imagine the time you spend writing posts for this blog. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but am too lazy to do it. =P
So, what will be the prize for a comment once you reach 5000, then…? *ponders*.
What a book – What a blog! Thank you for all your effort.
Wow! I came for the post on your self-experiment to stop procrastinating, but this is some definite incentive to start being a more active reader!
Happy Easter everyone!
Happy Easter everyone!
Well, I never was a lurker. Actually I came here by searching for the book. Guess I will have to wait with buying it until I know if I won. =)
Oh, Happy Easter,
/M
Well, I never was a lurker. Actually I came here by searching for the book. Guess I will have to wait with buying it until I know if I won. =)
Oh, Happy Easter,
/M
It’s great to see you’ve reached so many subscribers! With data all around us, I’m fascinated by the different ways people are working on visual displays, so your blog was a great find for me.
It’s great to see you’ve reached so many subscribers! With data all around us, I’m fascinated by the different ways people are working on visual displays, so your blog was a great find for me.
Congratulations! It’s awesome you grew the site so fast. This age of web 2.0 and 3.0 is an exciting time to be a statistician!!!
My guess is you will use the “sample” function in R to draw the lucky winner LOL.
BTW, if you draw me, draw someone else…I already have this book :-) haha.
Great new site; Thanks for the wonderful contest; and what a great book; I read most of it a long time ago, but would love to have it; I’ll burn some incense and hang chicken feet in anticipation of your congratulatory email…..
Tufte’s books are good, no question. But if you want a more practical treatment, check out the offerings by Stephen Few. Of particular interest is Show Me the Numbers – Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten.
Tufte’s books are good, no question. But if you want a more practical treatment, check out the offerings by Stephen Few. Of particular interest is Show Me the Numbers – Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten.
@Jon: I haven’t read Stephen’s book, but yeah, I’ve only heard good things about it.
I have three of Tufte’s books (not the latest one yet), an I enjoy them greatly, but their concepts are not always easy to directly put into practice. I consider these books of greater cultural value than technical value.
I have two of Few’s books, Show Me the Numbers and Information Dashboard Design. Both are informative, and they present concepts in a practical way that makes them easy to implement.
Both authors are equally valuable, but for different reasons.
I have three of Tufte’s books (not the latest one yet), an I enjoy them greatly, but their concepts are not always easy to directly put into practice. I consider these books of greater cultural value than technical value.
I have two of Few’s books, Show Me the Numbers and Information Dashboard Design. Both are informative, and they present concepts in a practical way that makes them easy to implement.
Both authors are equally valuable, but for different reasons.
Thanks for a great blog.
(I don´t mind winning that book)
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Been loving the reading (google reader makes it easy to follow you guys). Plus I’m a fool not to try and win the Tufte book!
@ Jon – I’ll second that about Few’s books. I also agree that Tufte is more theory, with Few having more practical application.
I can say that, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Tufte and Few’s Information Dashboard Design are must-haves, but it really depends on your personal/professional interest or need.
With such a positive response here, maybe I’ll take a page out of Nathan’s book and offer a Few book contest.
@ Jon – I’ll second that about Few’s books. I also agree that Tufte is more theory, with Few having more practical application.
I can say that, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Tufte and Few’s Information Dashboard Design are must-haves, but it really depends on your personal/professional interest or need.
With such a positive response here, maybe I’ll take a page out of Nathan’s book and offer a Few book contest.
I’m in, thanks for running this contest!
I’m in, thanks for running this contest!
Looks cool. Count me in.
Hey!! Thanks for your contest, I’m in!
Congratulations on getting 1K subscribers! Here’s to getting thousands more!
Great website. After loaning the book to another and not getting it back, I need it back on my bookshelf.
Great website. After loaning the book to another and not getting it back, I need it back on my bookshelf.
As of right now my chances are 1/54.
As of right now my chances are 1/54.
This is a comment. I trust it is enough to cover the contest requirements.
This is a comment. I trust it is enough to cover the contest requirements.
I’ve read some snippets from Tufte but never reviewed the prize, which you note as a “milestone” book. So, as a newbie to this site, thanks for pointing me to it.
Congratulations.
I’m in have wanted this for years hopefully luck is on my side
Way cool