I took Edward Tufte’s Presenting Data and Information class. Normally I would have tweeted these quotes (especially since Edward Tufte is active on Twitter!) but the room was dark and my phone’s screen would have looked like a spotlight. (This is not my summary of the day. Just some of the tweets I would have sent.)
- There are only two industries that call their customers users: illicit drugs and software.
- No visualization for little data. Use sentences.
- Taking notes shows respect.
- Marketing = amateur social science.
- It’s just as easy to get fooled by big data as little data.
- Just block people. If someone pees in your living room, you don’t want to stick around.
- By age 35, all future music will become an utter mystery.
- If you have an inherent interest in operating systems, it’s unnatural. (Operating systems was my favorite university computer science class! And my first job.)
- All complex ideas can be expressed in normal language. This is what reporters do.
- Distrust anyone who replies with character assassination.
And there was also lots of good content. More later.