Re:Good Old Excel is the Ultimate Data Visualization Tool
by cyrillevincey on Wednesday October 16, 2013 @09:32AM
(#6559512)
ggplot2 and Tableau are high-end tools, meant for experts. My intent here is to show that an average organization can do a pretty good job with the tools they already have.
The data discovery tech we're baking will actually totally simplify the way people visualize / discover their data. But until it's shipped, I'm just claiming people can use excel. Thanks anyway for your comment.
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Re:Good Old Excel is the Ultimate Data Visualization Tool
by peatmoss on Wednesday October 16, 2013 @09:55AM
(#6559624)
And I can appreciate that, though you can see why the sensational title might confuse someone on the intent.
Also, I'd argue that Tableau doesn't require any particular expertise beyond what is required for Excel. Though Tableau isn't my preferred tool, I've seen great results come from total novices. It has the side benefit of sneakily training people to "think beyond the canned" and to develop novel visualizations that may better get to the heart of the relationships present in the data.
I get it that ggplot2 requires some minimal coding ability, however I've also seen good (i.e. superior to stock excel) results come out of never-before-coded grad students in an only nominally quantitative discipline. Certainly the business people who power our economy and command great sums of wealth are capable of such modest feats?
Re:Good Old Excel is the Ultimate Data Visualization Tool
by cyrillevincey on Wednesday October 16, 2013 @12:36PM
(#6560597)
"Certainly the business people who power our economy and command great sums of wealth are capable of such modest feats?" => unfortunately no, IMHO. I used to be a consultant, and I can tell from experience that there's no chance that any tool like R could possibly penetrate an audience of business people... Though, I share that dream with you!