In my opinion, FD is one of the best resources on the internet for anyone with an interest in data. One of the great challenges I see in the near future is the concept of data literacy. Now that so much of the world has more data to available to it than ever before, and that public store of data continues to grow at an ever increasing rate, the ability to reason and communicate about data is getting more and more important.

I love the way FD is unafraid to champion interesting ways to do exactly that, and by doing so, creates a truly interesting public conversation. I think the criticisms are inevitable, and I wish all were as reasoned as Andrew’s, but hey, this is the internet.

Thank you!

I’ve showed several of the visualizations to classmates and they’ve always been met with a positive reaction. A good visualization is an excellent tool for expressing data to people outside of the field. Well illustrated data can tell the story teased out from the numbers in a far, far more accessible manner than a table or scatter plot could ever hope to.

The need for well visualized data is great; there is a cottage industry of designers working to illustrate complex science and medicine in the courtroom. The average jury (and judge) has even less experience with science than the attorneys. Major decisions are made on a daily basis for which well visualized data is invaluable. Despite the (apparent) tendency of statisticians to poo-poo such work, people outside the field applaud it.

Keep up the good work!

Just wanted to add my two cents in the chorus of “keep up the good work; I love it!”

The creative playful exploration of ideas related to data visualization is my passion. I think your site, together with infosthetics, are the most stimulating places on the web. Keep up the excellent work !

I find myself, as a designer, fascinated by web apps like wefeelfine and twistori that have the ability to aggregate collective biographical data and communicate “barometric” readings of humans themselves… Maybe some things aren’t classic statistics but that doesn’t make them less beautiful.

There’s something for everyone in the world of data viz. Keep it up and don’t let internet folk get you down :)

Given that prototype data visualizations and frequently driven by not only the need to communicate but also to communicate beautifully, one half of the reason for many visualizations falls on unseeing eyes.

The reality is that most people, although they may be fundamentally quantitative and capable of understanding numbers, algorithms and patterns, do not have commensurately developed ability in visual interpretation. I hate to use the cliched left/right brain metaphor, but I think in this case it applies.

One thing is certain, for readers of visualizations that are non-specialists, an attractive figure is much more appealing than a cold-hearted scatter plot. They are more likely to be drawn in, engaged and stimulated by a well designed visualization. The specialists sometimes forget that they are a minority and that it is as important to communicate their findings to the general public, who may be stimulated by an entirely different visual.