Have you ever worked on one of one of those projects where despite your best efforts, things just didn't go according to plan? Maybe your predictive model predicted everything but reality, or your data visualization ended up looking more like abstract art. Well, you're not alone, and it's time to pay tribute to these not-so-shiny moments at our annual Data Mishaps Night! We're gearing up for an evening of shared data stories with a focus on the hard-earned lessons that come from our mistakes. Because let's be honest, the path to success is rarely a straight line, and every detour is packed wit ..read more

It seems like just about every week a new AI term takes off. These past few weeks were no different with the rise of “Large Action Models”. The term was catapulted into the news after a company named “Rabbit” launched the Rabbit r1 personal AI assistant device at CES 2024. In introducing the device, Rabbit highlights the difficulties which have arisen from a silo’d, app-driven world. They explain that with the advancements in natural language processing and their “neuro-symbolic programming to directly learn user interactions with applications”, we can move towards a personal device experience ..read more

“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” — Oscar Wilde My heart sunk to my stomach as I realized that I had grossly underestimated my need to prepare for this presentation. I was 23 years old and had travelled to Europe to deliver my first DB2 database technical bootcamp to a local user group. In reality, I was a DB2 user of 6 months on a mission to teach a room full of men who had used DB2 for decades, the new features of the product. To be clear, I did prepare. I spent many hours pouring over the bootcamp material making sure that I understood it. But what I failed to realize, i ..read more

This article provides a brief review of the book “Chart Spark” by Alli Torban What is the book about? To be honest, I purchased this book without knowing what it was about. Having been a long time listener of Alli’s podcast “Data Viz Today”, I assumed it would include information about creating effective data visualizations. Based on Alli’s typical delivery style, I knew that it would be insightful, easy to connect with and provide actionable tips to improve our data skills. Upon reading it, I was delighted to see that she offers a unique take on the approach of teaching effective data visuali ..read more

This article provides a brief review of the book “Prediction Machines” by Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans and Avi Goldfarb What is the book about? With the rise in hype around artificial intelligence, many of my friends and colleagues have asked for book recommendations to become more familiar with the subject area. I recently revisited the book "Prediction Machines," and it did not disappoint. The authors do an excellent job of outlining core concepts about artificial intelligence, why and how it provides an economic advantage, as well as the risks and dangers associated with this new technology. A ..read more

Late last year, I partnered with Pythian to participate in their “Love Letters to Data” series. As a sentimental person, who has had a long journey with data, this series was a great fit. I committed to writing a letter, but felt daunted by the task of summarizing a nearly twenty year relationship. Much to my surprise, when I sat down to write, the words flowed easily. I know that data is a subject and not a person, so it seems very odd to write it a love letter. But it has had a profound impact on my identity and career. Ultimately I was grateful to be given a forum for expressing my thought ..read more

You can learn a lot about an organization by reading through it’s SQL files. These files contain the map of how an organization works. By reading through them, you can learn how systems come together to make a business run. You can learn what’s working, and what’s not. If you’ve ever come across an overly complicated, too-long, SQL file, riddled with one-off conditions, it can feel tempting to burn it down and start over. But, please don’t. In that SQL lies an unfiltered picture of how your organization really functions, beyond clean architecture diagrams and documented operational processes ..read more

Welcome to #FunDataFriday for AI Inclusive A 3 minute read about a cool data resource. Today’s #FunDataFriday article is about a community called AI Inclusive.   What is AI Inclusive? AI Inclusive is a community with the mission of increasing representation and participation of gender minority groups in artificial intelligence.  Through their programs, they seek to address bias and gender disparity that exists today while guiding the members of the community in their AI careers.   Why is it Awesome? My presentation on data storytelling at an AI Inclusive event The community is ..read more

Welcome to #FunDataFriday for Women in Analytics A 3 minute read about a cool data resource. Today’s #FunDataFriday article is about the Women in Analytics conference and specifically their call for speakers for the WIA 2022 conference.   Tiffany and I backstage before we delivered our talk on Citizen Data Scientists. What is it? The Women in Analytics Conference has just put out their 2022 call for speakers. The Woman in Analytics Conference is a truly special event that brings women together from a wide range of analytical backgrounds. The event offers speaking sessions, poster session ..read more

Welcome to #FunDataFriday for the“Build a Career in Data Science” book A 3 minute read about a cool data resource. Today’s #FunDataFriday article is about a book AND a podcast called “Build a Career in Data Science”. What is it? “Build a Career in Data Science” started as an excellent book by Emily Robinson and Jacqueline Nolis. The material was then extended to create a complimentary (and just as great) podcast. The content is for people who are new to the field of data science or already in the field and looking to understand how to better navigate their career. Why is it Awesome? The con ..read more