Mapping Data

Data is more useful if you can see it from different angles. Because you can't see the forest if you're standing with trees in your face.

It sometimes helps to step back and get a broader perspective. An Overview if you will.

An often forgotten tool for doing this is a simple map. A picture is worth a 1000 words kinda of thing.


Here's a few of my favorite Perspective Changers:

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10X10: It maps the most frequently 'buzzed" words and pictures that define time in a 10 by 10 grid. 100 pictures, 100 words.

Google-Maps: An open API for personal use, so you can make use of maps on your Web Page. (also see Yahoo Pipes below:

Technorati: A pulse keeper on what Bloggers are yapping about.


Twittervision: Leo Laporte said on the TWITs this week: If you need a quick explanation on what the latest craze in message twittering is, check this site out.

Yahoo Pipes: An online implementation of Mash-ups. Connecting open data from different websites and creating a new View of that Data.

Google Maps is often one of the building blocks, as is Flickr, the online picture hosting website.


Before Blogging went nuts, there was RSS (real simple syndication) feeds that kept you up-to-date on the latest info on the technology, news and media scene. Then with the aid of INCLOSURES in the HTML script (The Idea suggested by MTV Jock Adam Curry), mp3 audio became playable from an rss feed. This brilliant Idea was given the Nothing-To-Do-With IPODS name of Podcasting.

Later, another ENCLOSURE allowed Video to be enbedded in the HTML script.

A New Media delivery was born to give us Radiocasts and Videocasts.


RSS OWL A RSS feed Reader.

How do you see your Data? Let me count the ways.

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