Announcements

• Comment to win a signed copy of Data Points

  June 4, 2013 to Contests by Nathan Yau

  It seems like ages since we ran one of these.

  It's hard to believe Data Points hit the shelves two months ago. (Thank you to everyone who got a copy!) It still feels brand new in my head. I kind of thought that time would slow down after I finished the book (and dissertation), but it seems to be moving even faster now.

  Anyways, if you'd like a chance to win a copy of Data Points blemished by my signature, leave a comment below by Wednesday, June 5, 2013 11:59pm PST. Tell us what your favorite number is and why. One entry per person please. I'll pick a winner at random via sample() in R. Good luck.

  And of course, if you can't wait, have never been lucky at cards, or want a blemish-free version of the book, you can get it at online and physical bookstores everywhere.

• I am away from my computer right now. brb.

  April 8, 2013 to Announcements by Nathan Yau

  I'm gonna be out of the country for a while. If all goes according to plan, you won't notice I'm gone, but if it gets quiet all of a sudden you'll know why. Comments will be off. I also won't be very good with email during this time. Not that I was good with it to begin with.

  gtg.ttyl

• Other ways to follow FlowingData

  March 14, 2013 to Announcements by Nathan Yau

  With Google Reader closing its doors in July (which stinks because I use it multiple times per day), now is a good time to make a switch.

  For those who want to stick with RSS, you can grab the feed here. Note the change in feed URL. I used to use a service called Feedburner to deliver the RSS, but that's owned by Google, too, so it's probably best to move away from there.

  Then of course you can follow @flowingdata on Twitter.

  Or Facebook.

  Or Google+.

  Or via daily or weekly email.

• Starting a New Stack

  February 21, 2013 to Announcements by Nathan Yau

  There's a corner of my desk reserved for books, notes, papers, and other things I am supposed to read or have written and need to rewrite. Each project I happen to be working on gets its own stack. But there is only so much space on my desk, and if I have too many stacks going at once, everything starts to jumble into one big pile. So I try not to work on too many things in parallel.

  There are typically two stacks at any given time: one for books or random projects and the other for my dissertation. The former changes often and was recently cleared on the completion of the Data Points manuscript, and the latter has been persistent for several years.

  But I'm happy to finally say that now there are zero stacks.

  I'm finally done. I'm officially Dr. Nathan Yau, Ph.D. (but you can still call me Nathan).

  It feels weird to say that but in a good way — like how I imagine lottery winners feel, suddenly being able to say they're millionaires. It's surreal at first, but once it sinks in, the sun shines brighter, food tastes better, and the feeling of possibilities rushes through your veins.

  I've been asked if I would do it again knowing what I know now. After all, it took me over seven years to finish. To be honest, there were many times I wanted to quit, but now that I'm done, I can say that I would do it all again. I wouldn't do it just for the degree though. Rather I would do it for what came from going through the process: this blog, two books, countless learning experiences in school and through it, and a perspective on work that I wouldn't have gotten from anything else.

  Most importantly, I found what I like to do. It's awesome.

  So now it's time for a new stack. I'm excited about what it might be.

• I’m Back

  May 30, 2012 to Announcements by Nathan Yau

  After a couple of weeks of phone-only Internet, I've got my hands on a keyboard again and I'm looking at a screen bigger than four inches. It feels strange, but it's good to be back.

  My many thanks to Kim for holding down the fort while I'm gone. Be sure to follow her at @krees and check out Periscopic for your information visualization needs.

  So what'd I miss?

• Welcome Kim Rees

  May 15, 2012 to Announcements by Nathan Yau

  I'm going to be away for a couple of weeks, with little to no Internet access most of the time, so I've asked Kim Rees to step in while I'm gone. She's the co-founder of Periscopic, one of my favorite information visualization firms, and she was the technical editor for Visualize This. You're in good hands.

  You can follow her at @krees.

  Be good, and see you all when I get back.

  She's all yours, Kim.

• Introducing FlowingData Membership

  January 5, 2012 to Announcements by Nathan Yau

  It was about five years ago when I got into visualization. Before I actually made anything, I read books and guides that made suggestions and preached a handful of design principles, but when it was time to make a data graphic for publication, I didn't know what I was doing. Theory is great. Being able to apply it to your own data is better.

  Back then — which seems like forever but isn't actually that long ago — there weren't many practical tutorials or books on how to visualize data. Visualize This is the book I wish I had when I was starting out. A steady foundation and an introduction to what's out there, written to my old self.

  There's still so much more to visualization though. There are different points of view to explore, new software and methods to try, and growing data sources to play with.

  That's where FlowingData memberships come in. Having great sponsors lets me write tutorials and longer articles occasionally, but memberships will allow me to write more and perhaps bring in others' expertise from time to time.

  Here's what you get with FlowingData membership:

  • Monthly Tutorials: How to make and design publication-level data graphics.
  • Downloads: Source code and files to use with your own data.
  • Guides and Resources: Design principles and the best places to learn them.
  • Curated Links: Hand-picked links from around the Web that focus on the how of visualization.

  Those who have Visualize This will recognize the style of the guides and tutorials (first members-only tutorial coming soon after this post). You can also check out past tutorials for a taste. Long-time readers will notice a new layout that's easier to follow, and writing online lends itself better to more code-heavy projects.

  All this for the introductory price of $25 per year — less than a coffee a month. I'll also throw in a warm, fuzzy feeling from directly supporting an independent FlowingData. Your support helps ensure that the lights stay on, hopefully for years to come.

  Become a member.

  UPDATE: Paypal is acting up. Looking into it now.

  UPDATE 2: Seems to be going okay again. It might take a couple of tries due to your awesomeness.

  UPDATE 3: I think most of the kinks have been ironed out, but if you can't log in for some reason, please email me at nathan [at] flowingdata [dot] com. Thanks for the support, everyone.

• Merry Christmas to you, from FlowingData

  December 23, 2011 to Announcements by Nathan Yau

  

  Thanks for making this a memorable year, everyone. Happy holidays!

• Visiting Census

  August 14, 2011 to Announcements by Nathan Yau

  I'm visiting the US Census Bureau this week, so there's a good chance there will be a few days I don't post anything. Hopefully not though. I have a couple of things scheduled. But in case I go radio silent for a few days, you'll know why. It'll be back to normal next week.

• Send your pictures of Visualize This in the wild (and win a goodie)

  August 9, 2011 to Contests by Nathan Yau

  One of the best parts since the launch of Visualize This has been the pictures that people have sent me of the book in the wild. It makes it feel all the more real.

  To have some fun with it, let's have a little contest. Take a picture of the book in your hands, on your desk, or wherever you like really, and send it to [email protected] by this Friday, August 12, 2011. If you have a digital version, feel free to take a picture of your iPad or Kindle with the book open. I'll put all the pics together in a mosaic or something.

  Then I'll choose five winners at random, and you can pick any print book you like from the Wiley Tech library (minus box sets). Good luck!

• Flowing Datathon updates

  August 2, 2011 to Announcements by Nathan Yau

  Many of you now have Visualize This in your hands and have probably gone through a number of tutorials. Now it's time to put what you've learned into practice. I'm fleshing out the details of a Flowing Datathon. I don't know what it'll be like yet — other than it'll involve an interesting dataset over 24 hours and some prizes (and of course, fun) — but if you'd like to keep up-to-date either to get involved or watch, I've set up an email list.

  Sign up here.

  Oh, and if you have ideas for what would make the event special awesome, feel free to leave your suggestion in the comments.

• Challenge: Visualize the impact of Wikipedia

  July 14, 2011 to Contests by Nathan Yau

  If you're like me, you've probably used Wikipedia at least once in the past week (or day... or hour). It's had a huge impact on how we find information and keep history up-to-date. The online encyclopedia turned 10 this year, and to celebrate, WikiSym and the Wikimedia foundation recently launched a challenge: WikiViz 2011.

  WikiViz 2011 is about visualizing the impact of Wikipedia. We want to see the most effective, compelling and creative data-driven visualizations of how Wikipedia impacted the world with its content, culture and open collaboration model. Potential topics include: the imprint of Wikipedia on knowledge sharing and access to information; its impact on literacy and education, journalism and research; on the functioning of scientific and cultural organizations and businesses, as well as the daily life of individuals around the world.

  There are lots of small datasets within Wikipedia articles, but Wikipedia itself is also one giant (open) dataset. For example, we've seen the history of the world according to tagged events as well as back and forth discussions for deletion.

  Can you find something good? Judged by Moritz Stefaner, Andrew Vande Moere, and Kim Rees, among others, winners get to attend WikiSym on the house and of course get a mention or two.

• Visualization contests around the corner

  May 25, 2011 to Contests by Nathan Yau

  The best way to learn how to visualize data is to grab a dataset and see what you can do with it. You can read as many tips and tricks as you want, but you're not going to get any better until you actually try. Contests are a fun way to do this.

  Participate

  So here are a handful of visualization contests to get your hands dirty. Hey you might even win a couple of thousand dollars. Not that money matters to you, because as well all know, learning is your reward.

  Hacking Education — A contest for developers and data crunchers. DonorsChoose.org has inspired $80 million in giving from 400,000 donors, helping 165,000 teachers at 43,000 schools, and the donation site has opened up this data. Can do you do something with it? Deadline: June 30, 2011.

  Data In Sight — A hands-on competition in San Francisco's SoMa district with surprise data sources. Some talks, lunch, dinner, and a 24-hour hackathon. Event date: June 24, 2011 (better to register your team early).

  Tableau Interactive Viz Contest — This one is coming up the quickest, but is the most straightforward. Plus, you get a t-shirt just for entering. Grab some business, finance, or real estate data and go to town with Tableau Public. Deadline: June 3, 2011.

  Know of any other data/visualization contests coming up? Let us know in the comments.

• Friday freebies: Comment to win a copy of R Cookbook – winners announced

  May 6, 2011 to Contests by Nathan Yau

  Want a free copy of R Cookbook by Paul Teetor? You're in luck, because I have four copies to give away, generously provided by O'Reilly. In case you're unfamiliar, here's my review for some background. Bottom line: It's a fine addition to the O'Reilly series of cookbooks.

  How to Win

  You know the drill. Simply leave a comment on this post by Sunday, March 8 at 11pm PST. This time around, let's go with... your favorite number. Yeah, tell me what your favorite number is. Then I'll choose four winners at random on Monday.

  Obviously make sure you use a valid email address, and only one entry per person please. Good luck!

  Update: Winners announced! You should have received an email if you were picked. Thanks for participating, everyone.

• Comment to win a free HistoryShots print – winners announced

  March 24, 2011 to Contests by Nathan Yau

  

  Happy Friday, everyone. Leading into the weekend, HistoryShots has kindly put three prints up for grabs to decorate that plain wall of yours with data and information. HistoryShots has been around for a while, but in case you're not familiar, they "create elegant graphics and diagrammatic art that visually tell stories about subjects, time periods and events." Some are vintage reprints from the 1800s and others are original designs.

  How do you win a free print? Go to the HistoryShots list of available prints, and then come back here and leave a comment saying which one you want by Sunday, March 27 at 10pm. I'll pick three winners at random. Good luck!

  Update: Winners picked. If you won, you've received an email from me. Thanks for entering!

• Friday freebies: Visual history posters from Timeplots – winners announced

  March 4, 2011 to Contests by Nathan Yau

  

  It's Friday, and the weekend's staring you in the face. You look like you need some free stuff. Timeplots has kindly put up three visual history prints up for grabs. In case you're not familiar, Timeplots takes complex history stories, like the American presidency or the changing nature of the Senate, and puts them in visual form.
  Continue Reading

• Comment to win free registration for Strata data conference – winner announced

  January 27, 2011 to Contests by Nathan Yau

  Okay, I sort of dropped the ball on this one. I have a free pass up for grabs to the O'Reilly Strata Conference next week, February 1 to 3. Here's the short description:

  Unprecedented computing power and connectivity are bringing new layers of experience to our lives in how we manage and present data sets of all sizes.

  Throughout three days of training, breakout sessions, and plenary discussions, O'Reilly Strata connects the decision-makers, practitioners, and leading vendors from enterprise and the web who are at the leading edge of this space. Topics include data science, acquisition, organization, machine learning, visualization, and more.

  Want to win the free pass? Leave a comment below by Friday, January 28, 2011 at 7pm PST. Tell us what super power you'd want if you could only pick one. I'll pick a comment randomly and email you the discount code. Please only enter if you know you can attend February 1-3 in Santa Clara, California. I'd hate the pass to go to waste.

  If you don't want to leave it up to the randomized gods and just want to register now, it's not too late to do that either. You can register here and get a 25% discount. The program looks like it'll be a good one.

  Update: Congrats to Tyson! "I’d like to fly"

• Comment to win a copy of Data Analysis with Open Source Tools – winner announced

  January 7, 2011 to Contests by Nathan Yau

  Looking to get more serious about your data analysis? Data Analysis with Open Source Tools by Philip K. Janert can help you with that.

  The back cover reads:

  Collecting data is relatively easy, but turning raw information into something useful requires that you know how to extract precisely what you need. With this insightful book, intermediate to experienced programmers interested in data analysis will learn techniques for working with data in a business environment. You'll learn how to look at data to discover what it contains, how to capture those ideas in conceptual models, and then feed your understanding back into the organization through business plans, metrics dashboards, and other applications.

  It's a little over 500 pages and thorough about describing how to analyze your data. However, it is light in the "with open source tools" part of the title. Most of the time is spent explaining concepts, and then each chapter ends with a workshop, which includes some code. There are examples throughout, but few provide an explanation of how a plot was made or the implementation of a method. So definitely not a book for beginners.
  Continue Reading

• Merry Christmas from FlowingData

  December 24, 2010 to Announcements by Nathan Yau

  

  Merry Christmas and happy new year! As usual, don't forget to eat lots. That's the only way to roll during the holidays.

• Join FlowingData fantasy basketball pool

  October 24, 2010 to Announcements by Nathan Yau

  The basketball season is going to start soon (finally). To make the season more interesting, I'm starting a FlowingData fantasy basketball pool, and you're invited. It's a combination of data and basketball. Pure awesomeness.

  It's a $20 chip-in, and winner takes all. Want to join in on the fun? Just email me with "I'm in" in the subject header, and I'll send over the info. We need at least 10 teams, and the maximum is 20, so the earlier you reply, the better. Let the games begin!