Alberto Cairo

The Open Visualization Academy (OVA) IS LIVE! openvisualizationacademy.org Thread follows #dataViz #infographics #dataJournalism #dataVisualization

Some good #dataviz discussion on the pros/cons on the usage of choropleth maps in this thread, and who has responsibility for clarity and understanding.

New project! Contributor @owenlacey.dev asks whether Kevin Bacon is the most-connected actor in Hollywood, per the popular game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”. 🔗: pudding.cool/2026/10/kevi...

It's really important to pay attention to the fact that Lula beat the fascist candidate not by compromising and trying to meet fascist voters in the middle, but by sticking to his guns, promising prosecutions for election interference, and mobilising his own voters to turn out in greater numbers.

boy it sure seems like the main threat to democracy everywhere across the globe is right wing media and certain social media companies

First, Brazil. Next, the United States.

CHOREM MAIS SEUS FUDIDOS

One question I always ask of a choropleth map is whether it is any more helpful than a table. Is there anything inherently spatial about the pattern? And do people know what's where? Maybe enough people have a sense of which states are where. Probably less so for counties within a state.

#dataviz I got a lovely gift in the mail today, @laurenfkennedy.bsky.social Data by Design The historical and modern content is amazing, but I'm also drooling over the wonderful look and page design 💯

Hello, network, I'm looking for an adjunct to teach our interactive visualization class next semester (virtually). If you are based in the United States—unfortunately we can't hire people from other countries—design visualizations with JS+D3, etc. and are interested in teaching, send me a message.

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It is a strategic argument to show each map, and strategic to call each "misleading." I show these 4 images in class. Same visual "arguments," but people flip their opinion on whether it's an ok argument based on political leaning (top is election, bottom is women's suffrage from 1915).

Visualization in popular media: Panels from Alan Moore's 'Watchmen' Rorschach, the man obsessed with patterns —therefore his constantly changing mask— spots patterns in a chart

Gotta jump in here--- that map of US votes actually WAS misleading-- a good example of the "land doesn't vote, people do" argument. And that flaw can be corrected, if the goal is to show the votes. I asked my pal A-M Guerry, who said choropleth maps are best at showing geo patterns

One good thing about this confusion is that the confused will often let you know of their state, persistently! So if you use one design concept repeatedly you can iterate the design with your audience. For example we've learned to always present a normal map in addition to the House cartogram.

I think it turned out really well! @sheng-long.bsky.social did a bang-up job and honestly I think this is how we should be doing empirical vis work going forward arxiv.org/pdf/2604.02220

It’s true that election county vote maps that are choropleth are accurate based on the information they are sharing for voting results, but it’s equally true that these maps ARE cognitively misleading when viewing them and/or useful for false narratives etc etc. The Modifiable Areal Unit Problem …

To continue the previous post, please read the following:

The thread deriving from @mjskay.com's response to my post reminds me of good, old #dataViz Twitter. I miss this type of conversation!

As much as I like lovely exercises like this, we need to stop saying that the choropleth map is "misleading". It can be misleading *if you don't know how to read it for the purpose it was created for*—to show who won were, nothing else. The problem isn't the map, but its improper interpretation.

Interested in communicating science with data graphics? I'm excited to be leading one of three virtual workshops on the topic for @graphichunters.bsky.social on Nov 23. 📊 #scicomm More info here: www.eventbrite.com/e/beautiful-...

Visualising Climate is just two weeks away. I haven't been this excited about a conference for more than a decade. And it won't be a one-time event; we've already chosen the location for the 2027 edition, which we'll announce on November 6th 1/x

I know that this will be of interest just to @msoares.bsky.social, @gilberto.codes and other old and dusty rockers, but the latest album by Black Sabbath's @iommi.com just dropped and it's glorious www.youtube.com/watch?v=29qM...

@chezvoila.com did a starter pack for our #dataviz conf in Bolonia 🤩 #visualisingclimate2026 go.bsky.app/FHWJTK5

Today is the day! DATA BY DESIGN is out in the world! With immense gratitude to the entire project team, to @gita2.bsky.social, and to @mitpress.bsky.social, for turning this vision into reality. We're so excited to be able to celebrate with all of you!

Hahaha

Interested to join? 👆 @azlinszky.bsky.social @cmshintani.bsky.social @maartenzam.bsky.social @lucaswaldron.bsky.social @sadbumblebee.buzz @tomoprater.carbonbrief.org @xocasgv.bsky.social @bacicd.bsky.social @tnagel.bsky.social @annalombardi.bsky.social @johnlang.bsky.social

The virtual practice round / dress rehearsal will take place this Thursday, October 22, in the morning, Eastern Time. My own material will be in draft, incomplete. No pressure, it's practice and meant to improve. #visualisingclimate @visualisingclimate.com 📊

Here's what early readers — Giorgia Lupi, @albertocairo.com, Miriah Meyer and @monachalabi.bsky.social had to say about Data by Design! Preorder your copy today from @mitpress, we're excited to hear what you think.

the second el-sayed chose to treat tommy as an equal and not a nuisance, tommy was cooked

This looks like a fantastic exercise of modeling WWI tactical dynamics—and yet another innovative design by Volko

"An instant classic. [Data By Design] celebrates data visualization while also casting light on the dark parts of its history ... with rigor and grace." — @albertocairo.com "Data By Design" shows how visualization can lead to a more liberatory world. Out Oct 20th: mitpress.mit.edu/978026205618...

For speakers at @visualisingclimate.com 📊 The deadline is October 30, so the session would take place on the 23rd at the latest.

The best summary I've read of Rubio's grotesque speech in Athens: "With a dramatic view of the Parthenon in the background, Rubio delivered 25 minutes of kitsch. It was the classics as learned through memes by a groyped-up staffer" www.unpopularfront.news/p/the-greeks... @lioneltrolling.bsky.social

I've repeatedly had this conversation with colleagues who hold the paradoxically called "objective" view of journalism. They refuse to accept that if you *know* that something is true, you must say so & if you *know* that something is false, you mustn't give voice to those who spread the falsehood.

I’d like to offer something to fellow speakers: A virtual practice round for your talk. 🎤 I think giving a talk is a big gift of time from an audience, and I like the idea of helping each other make the most of that moment.