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Visualizations, Security & Wrap Up Professor Bush May 2, 2018
Visualizations, Security & Wrap Up
Professor BushMay 2, 2018
Visualization
“An image that is derived from processing information—often, but not always, statistical
information—and that presents the information more efficiently than regular text could.”
- John Theibault, “Visualizations and Historical Arguments”
Two Distinct Uses for Visualizations:
• A means of quickly identifying patterns in large data sets during the research process that can open new lines of research or help answer questions
• A way to enhance the presentation of arguments, moving beyond what it is possible with words.
Edward Tufte suggests that graphical excellence is defined by “that which gives the viewer the greatest number of ideas, in the shortest time, with the least ink, the smallest space, and
which tells the truth about data.”
-Edward Tufte, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (Graphics Press, 1983)
Key Dimensions
• Density – sheer amount of useful information your visualization conveys
• Transparency – the ease with which that information can be understood by the reader.
*Good visualizations require hard work and thought. What is the best way to convey your information?
Avoid “ChartJunk”
• Each visualization should have one clear purpose – know what you are attempting to convey.
• Avoid visual embellishments that have no meaning• Use clear labels, legends and explanations. • Relative sizes, colors, shapes, are logical and convey the
information and relationships you intend to create.
Tips
Don’t make the user think.- Your visual should be clear and concise; properly labeled and oriented.
Put the visualization in the proper context. - Physically place your visualization where it makes the most sense.- Do not expect the user to flip between pages to understand the visuals.
Analyze and explain the visualization. Don’t trust the user to find the same meaning in it that you do.
- Don’t make the user think.- Never trade clarity for wit.- Label everything. An unlabeled visualization is an unfinished one.
You may have to recreate the visualizations you made in class.
Picking Your Visualization• Line graph- track changes over short and long periods of time, or compare
changes over the same period of time for more than one group. *When smaller changes exist, line graphs are better to use than bar graphs.
• Pie Chart- compare parts of a whole – percentages of information. *They do not show changes over time.
• Bar Graph- compare data across categories. *Bar graphs are best when you’re plotting larger changes over time.
• Map/StoryMap – conveys geo-spatial information, how actual sites relate to each other. *Must have solid geographical information; stresses the importance of a place.
• Timeline – conveys chronology or historical events as they relate to other important events. *Best used when you have a lot of complex chronology to convey; stresses the importance of an event
Google yourself. What comes up in the search results?
Your Online Presence
- What image are you presenting to the world?- Remove any questionable posts (or mark them private.)- Use the digital and Wordpress skills you have to create a good online presence for interviewing. (+ a handy website.)- Add the skills you learned in class to your resumes – working knowledge of Wordpress, basic HTML, web hosting- Be yourself.
Online Security • Cloud accessibility is amazing – until it isn’t.• Passwords are usually the most vulnerable door into your personal life that a
hacker can use.• Strong Passwords: 10-14 characters is ideal. Use as many kinds of characters as possible, include numerals, symbols, upper-case
letters, lower-case letters, and punctuation. When choosing a password, use mnemonic devices to help you remember it. For
example, create a password which is really an acronym for a sentence (include punctuation/symbols and numerals in this acronym) Never use any personal identifying information in the password. This includes names,
birthdates, pets, street addresses, schools, phone numbers, license plate numbers, etc. These will be first guesses for anyone trying to gain access to your account.
• Online strength checkers – online password managers, two-step verification
Digital History: Our Working Definition
An approach to examining and representing the past that works with the tools and technologies of the computer, the Internet, and software systems and
allows us to ask and answer questions about the pastso that we may acquire insights about the ideas and realities that shaped the experiences of those who
lived in earlier societies.
The Digital Past
During this past semester, you’ve:• Used technology to locate, access, evaluate and information.• Analyzed and used resources from digital media, including data and geo-
spatial information.• Applied emerging technologies and tools to a range of tasks and problems.• Demonstrated your ability to communicate, create and collaborate
effectively using information technology.• We’ve also reviewed the essential issues related to ethical, legal and
security issues that arise when using digital technology.
(Mason Core IT Requirements)
The Digital Past
Through the various assignments and workshops, you’ve also:• Created and published a website from scratch. • Used this site to communicate your ideas and opinions effectively.• Conducted real historical scholarship using primary and secondary
sources, a wide range of digital tools, and resources available on the open web. (And a majority of you thought you couldn’t “do” history!)
• Evaluated information online and weighed the ethical and legal challenges of digital technology.
Next week, you’ll turn in a final history project and portfolio showcasing all you’ve learned this semester.
Administrative Stuff
Feedback: I will read and give feedback on drafts until end of day Monday, May 7th.
Office Hours: Monday, May 7th from 11-1:30pm in my office.
Grades: I do not share grades or specific feedback unless you request it before you turn in your final project.
~~Projects are due May 9th by 10:30p.~~
~~YOU MUST TURN IT IN VIA THE ASSIGNMENT FORM TO RECEIVE A GRADE~~
Final Course Portfolios Will Contain
1. Final project pages – all pages for your final project should be obvious and clear.
2. Don’t put extra stuff in your menus – You MUST have:• Final project pages (# that makes sense for your project – subnav items as needed)• Blog – contains all your written and participation assignments.• About – you can edit this page to hold your final project essay• Bibliography – all sources used for your final project• Home or landing page• Midterm Timeline – timeline or link
3. Think carefully about how you want to use your Home page.4. Think carefully about the design, title – all must match your project
aesthetic! No cutesy names or images. 5. Update anything (themes, plugins, etc) that need to be updated.
What can I help you with?
