About Technology - Go Figure
About Technology -
A new online tool puts the power of information in the hands of anyone who’s interested, and turns data into animation. Here, Michael Blastland, in his regular column, gives just a taste of what the site can do.
I hope my video offers just a feel of what you can find out on the new OECD Factbook eXplorer website. Just as exciting is the OECD’s Regional Statistics site.
Readers might also like to explore the inspiration for the OECD technique, and for many other new ideas about communicating data: animated stats about international development by the Gapminder organisation.
• Art or information?
Go Figure promised to draw occasional attention to statistical eye candy.
Here’s an example, sort of, titled The Past and Future of Information. I say "sort of" because no numbers were used to create it. It is openly unscientific.
Brilliant, say some. Meaningless, say others. The fuss is partly because it reignites a row between those who think data visualisation should have some data in it, particularly if it looks as if it’s a graph, and those who think it has merit if it simply captures feeling or ideas in a compelling design.
So the question that animates all the argument is: does this do anything useful other than look colourful? It comes from a site called Baekdal.com which describes itself as "a magazine about greatness". Tell me what you think.
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