Excel strikes again. There were only two outcomes and the spreadsheet got it wrong. You'd be better flipping a coin. … [Read more...]
Spreadsheet disasters
Matt Parker describes what happens when spreadsheets go wrong in the BBC's "More or Less: Behind the Stats" podcast. I've been writing about this for over a decade and, sadly, little progress had been made. The cartoon is from xkcd, obviously. … [Read more...]
10 ways to mislead with data visualization
PolicyViz have published a useful article on errors you really need to avoid when creating data visualizations. … [Read more...]
Dutch giants
This chart crime made me afraid to visit Amsterdam. https://twitter.com/AdamSinger/status/1612124828114321410 I had to rework it to stop the nightmares. Phew. Everyone looks normal now. … [Read more...]
And if thine data offend Excel, change it
I've written numerous articles on issues with spreadsheets and why they shouldn't play any part in a data analytics pipeline. However, trying to persuade people to stop defaulting to Excel is a thankless task. So, it was no surprise (but very depressing) to read that geneticists changed their naming conventions to prevent Excel mangling their data. My dismay was alleviated, partially, by a great … [Read more...]