VizWiz

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January 21, 2014

Spreading the gospel, one data viz nerd at a time

8 comments

Fact: If I didn’t start my blog, I wouldn’t be working at Facebook. 

When Facebook was looking for people to build out their new Tableau team, naturally they started scouring the web to find people that could make an impact.  The only reason Facebook knew I existed was because I write my blog.  That brings me back to the beginning…how did I get started and why?

Back in September 3, 2007, in no less than one hour, I:

  1. Ran a Google search for dashboard software
  2. Downloaded and installed Tableau 3 (people new to Tableau have no idea how good they have it now)
  3. Watched the first two intro training videos
  4. Created my first dashboard

1-21-2014 11-41-08 AM

That one hour changed my life.  I became seriously OCD about Tableau and data visualization. 

Almost another two years passed.  I had been reading tons about data visualization, but there were very few blogs about data viz or Tableau and Tableau Public didn’t exist.  I had been practicing a lot, I loved writing and I needed a way to document my work.  I wasn’t even considering that other people might actually read it; the blog was like a diary after all. 

There was a void, so I created vizwiz.blogspot.com.  I chose to host it on blogger for no other reason than I was already using it for my personal blog and it’s super simple.

I started the blog as a place for me to take existing charts and graphs I found on the internet and transform them into something more meaningful.  My first blog post on August 17, 2009 was a remake of our friend the pie chart.

People were starting to read my blog more (particularly after the Huffington Post mentioned my post about birthdays).  I had a small following on my blog, but I wanted more people to know that I had content to share that they might be interested in.  After all, one of the best things about the Tableau community is the willingness of people to share their knowledge. 

Facebook and Twitter are embedded in our every day lives and are the two best ways to spread a message, so I adjusted my creation flow for blog posts to optimize my time and the blog’s reach.

1. Publish a blog post

2. Use the Facebook Share Button in Chrome to create a post on the VizWiz Facebook page

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3. I’m not a very active Twitter user (go figure), so I created a recipe on IFTTT.com that automatically posts content I share on my Facebook page to Twitter.  This includes posts from my own blog as well as content I find on the internet.  Basically, I share on Facebook and I get Twitter for free (one less step for me).  Hopefully they’ll add support for Pinterest soon too.

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Naturally, once your blog gains some followers you’ll begin getting feedback.  It’s critical that you engage with your audience.

  • Respond to blog comments (I would recommend you turn on word verification and moderation to help avoid spam)
  • Use an RSS reader (I use feedly) and Facebook to follow people and pages your like.  If you enjoy their content, share it.
  • Help others if you’re willing and able.  If you post an interesting technique, people might have questions.  Hop on a screen sharing session, Skype or Google Hangout with them.  Trust me, you’ll learn more from helping other people than you can ever learn on your own.

I’m always looking for great data viz and Tableau content to read.  I keep a log of sites I follow here.  It’s a bit out of date, so if you don’t see your site on there, leave me a comment and I’ll check it out.

In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Tableau Public.

8 comments :

  1. Andy,

    You have taken part in so many conferences so even without blog still you would be known among data visualization professionals....
    In the past you worked for so big company, you are not just a blogger, you are real professional with very good resume and well deserved fame :)

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  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjmyCjFJdtk You guys do D3?

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  3. Andy - I just found out about Tableau and am reading up on it. That's how I ended up on your blog :)

    I'm a web developer, interested in big data and visualization. Been playing with it on my own. I'd like to start working in this field at some point. What would be your advice for someone like me, who is just getting started? Are there enough jobs for say, tableau professionals?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jay. I'm happy to hear that you found me at such an early stage. I thought I had written a blog post answering this very question, but I can't find where I did. I did find this article on Fell in Love with Data that should be a big help.

      http://fellinlovewithdata.com/guides/how-to-become-a-data-visualization-expert-a-recipe

      If I were getting started now, I would invest my time in reading about data viz best practices and finding projects/reasons to apply that knowledge. For software, I would invest my time learning Tableau and d3.

      As for your last question, yes, there are plenty of jobs for Tableau professionals. I know tons of organizations that are looking for people with Tableau skills and top notch people are very hard to find right now. Good luck!!!

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    2. Thank you so much for answering my questions :)
      I hope to get a data analysis/viz job sometime this year. Tableau is much easier to learn, than d3. I'm going to start with tableau, then go to d3.

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