Comments on: A Defense of the Unknown in Infographics http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/18/a-defense-of-the-unknown-in-infographics/ Strength in Numbers Thu, 24 May 2012 15:48:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: michael5000 http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/18/a-defense-of-the-unknown-in-infographics/#comment-41065 michael5000 Thu, 25 Mar 2010 22:30:44 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6130#comment-41065 Works! Works!

]]> By: Weekly Roundup: Design Related Links #11 « Discovery Session… by Gerard Dolan http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/18/a-defense-of-the-unknown-in-infographics/#comment-40770 Weekly Roundup: Design Related Links #11 « Discovery Session… by Gerard Dolan Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:50:19 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6130#comment-40770 [...] A Defense of the Unknown in Infographics [...] [...] A Defense of the Unknown in Infographics [...]

]]> By: Daily Links for March 9th through March 20th | Akkam's Razor http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/18/a-defense-of-the-unknown-in-infographics/#comment-40686 Daily Links for March 9th through March 20th | Akkam's Razor Sat, 20 Mar 2010 23:21:32 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6130#comment-40686 [...] A Defense of the Unknown in Infographics – [...] [...] A Defense of the Unknown in Infographics – [...]

]]> By: Mark James Adams http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/18/a-defense-of-the-unknown-in-infographics/#comment-40474 Mark James Adams Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:35:08 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6130#comment-40474 It's like the last thing you want to be said at your funeral: "He was a good guy." If you don't have any critics, you aren't trying hard enough. So the boxoffice steamgraph is not going to help us make some new decision about social policy or even explain all the data that the graphic represents and...so what? There is a place for visualizations that make you consider just a little bit more about a small facet of the world that many people take interest in (boxoffice receipts) while looking shockingly pretty. Like say, the the type of casual stimulation you might want on a Sunday morning. It’s like the last thing you want to be said at your funeral: “He was a good guy.” If you don’t have any critics, you aren’t trying hard enough.

So the boxoffice steamgraph is not going to help us make some new decision about social policy or even explain all the data that the graphic represents and…so what? There is a place for visualizations that make you consider just a little bit more about a small facet of the world that many people take interest in (boxoffice receipts) while looking shockingly pretty. Like say, the the type of casual stimulation you might want on a Sunday morning.

]]> By: ivancho http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/18/a-defense-of-the-unknown-in-infographics/#comment-40428 ivancho Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:27:23 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6130#comment-40428 I fear some of your valid points are getting completely obscured by your high horse. I fear some of your valid points are getting completely obscured by your high horse.

]]> By: Layout | Box office takings streamgraph « Layman's layout http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/18/a-defense-of-the-unknown-in-infographics/#comment-40416 Layout | Box office takings streamgraph « Layman's layout Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:50:21 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6130#comment-40416 [...] via A Defense of the Unknown in Infographics. [...] [...] via A Defense of the Unknown in Infographics. [...]

]]> By: clheiny http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/18/a-defense-of-the-unknown-in-infographics/#comment-40405 clheiny Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:09:44 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6130#comment-40405 Contra Dan, I found the graphic easy to understand. All points that Dan derived from the article, I derived from the graphic without reading the article. To me, the streamgraph looks like a very useful tool for presenting certain datasets, and I plan to add it to the toolkit I use for scientific and engineering data visualizations at work. Contra Dan, I found the graphic easy to understand. All points that Dan derived from the article, I derived from the graphic without reading the article.

To me, the streamgraph looks like a very useful tool for presenting certain datasets, and I plan to add it to the toolkit I use for scientific and engineering data visualizations at work.

]]> By: Nathan Yau http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/18/a-defense-of-the-unknown-in-infographics/#comment-40404 Nathan Yau Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:02:52 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6130#comment-40404 byron and wattenberg mention themeriver in their paper. the difference between themeriver and streamgraph is the algorithm behind the organization. byron and wattenberg mention themeriver in their paper. the difference between themeriver and streamgraph is the algorithm behind the organization.

]]> By: Jonathan http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/18/a-defense-of-the-unknown-in-infographics/#comment-40401 Jonathan Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:06:54 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6130#comment-40401 There are a variety of remarks in the comments about how visual design choices are often made in ways that highlight a particular slice of the data in order to advance a specific argument/narrative. It's an important thing to remember about visualization that (much like data collection), bias is often part of the mix. Sometimes that will work, sometimes it doesn't, so it's hard to define best practices on this topic. Also, this piece is totally beautiful, but highly derivative in terms of visual display. That is certainly okay, but there should be mention of the innovator(s) of this technique. I'm not sure if it originated here, but there is an earlier work from the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory called Theme River. If they originated the concept, they should get some mention. http://infoviz.pnl.gov/research_themeriver.stm There are a variety of remarks in the comments about how visual design choices are often made in ways that highlight a particular slice of the data in order to advance a specific argument/narrative. It’s an important thing to remember about visualization that (much like data collection), bias is often part of the mix. Sometimes that will work, sometimes it doesn’t, so it’s hard to define best practices on this topic.

Also, this piece is totally beautiful, but highly derivative in terms of visual display. That is certainly okay, but there should be mention of the innovator(s) of this technique. I’m not sure if it originated here, but there is an earlier work from the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory called Theme River. If they originated the concept, they should get some mention. http://infoviz.pnl.gov/research_themeriver.stm

]]> By: Nathan Yau http://flowingdata.com/2010/03/18/a-defense-of-the-unknown-in-infographics/#comment-40399 Nathan Yau Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:28:58 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=6130#comment-40399 @Gert - I read that too, and those are good points in that critique. but i still don't think the curves are a huge misrepresentation. like lee says, it's a product of interpolation. it's estimation, and that's going to happen when you try to fit any model to a dataset. It's never going to be perfect. I don't think I was referring to you in this post. Critiques and discussion are always good things. However, those who go around smashing the graphic in every talk and calling it the worst ever, I think, are out of line. Besides AC is the nicest person ever. Why would anyone do that? :) @Gert – I read that too, and those are good points in that critique. but i still don’t think the curves are a huge misrepresentation. like lee says, it’s a product of interpolation. it’s estimation, and that’s going to happen when you try to fit any model to a dataset. It’s never going to be perfect.

I don’t think I was referring to you in this post. Critiques and discussion are always good things.

However, those who go around smashing the graphic in every talk and calling it the worst ever, I think, are out of line. Besides AC is the nicest person ever. Why would anyone do that? :)

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