Comments on: Measuring the Intangible

By: Andrea Meyer

Andrea Meyer — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:46:43 +0000

Thanks for sharing the cabspotting link, Stephanie. That’s a great example of how we can gain new insights by looking at publicly-available data in new ways. The fact that the Exploratorium is making this data available to everyone – and with interactive twists like Fly Cab — makes it all the more powerful because anyone can view and interact with the data to find patterns. Putting tools and data into everyone’s hands means that lots of new insights will be possible!

By: sciencegeekgirl » Cabspotting: San Francisco cab tracker reveals the life of the city

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 04:22:09 +0000

[...] recent post over at Working Knowledge (Measuring the Intangible) about how Barcelona plotted Flickr photos on a map of Spain to reveal favorite tourist locations reminded me about a really neat site at the Exploratorium.

By: Stephanie Chasteen

Stephanie Chasteen — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 04:04:48 +0000

This is a great example of enhanced mapping – taking some intereresting available public data to find out someone more about an area. There was a wonderful project at the Exploratorium called “Cabspotting” – http://cabspotting.org/ – that traced the routes that taxis took throughout San Francisco.

They write:
“Cabspotting traces San Francisco’s taxi cabs as they travel throughout the Bay Area. The patterns traced by each cab create a living and always-changing map of city life. This map hints at economic, social, and cultural trends that are otherwise invisible. The Exploratorium has invited artists and researchers to use this information to reveal these “Invisible Dynamics.”"

Check it out, it’s really interesting.

By: Rosemary Carstens

Rosemary Carstens — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:29:30 +0000

One of the most exciting things about learning something new is reviewing your old ideas and concepts in light of it, making new connections, and seeing how entirely NEW products, materials, and services can result. I love that Barcelona used such an innovative concept to “map” the city’s emotional impact on tourists!

By: Andrea Meyer

Andrea Meyer — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:36:33 +0000

Excellent takeaway, Dave, and what a great application to nonprofit organizations! I especially like the advice you give [at http://spurspectives.com/every-nonprofit-needs-a-data-guru-gatekeeper/ ] about having a Data Guru who doesn’t just collect the data but is equally excited about discovering what the data can do.

By: David Svet

David Svet — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:24:32 +0000

Andrea, this is fantastic! You’re right, usable, meaningful data is available all around us. The array of tools to put it to good use are astounding. It’s just a matter of thinking through what the data really means, recording it in a retrievable manner, and using to connect with people on a personal level. We have a new blog post on http://www.SPURspectives.com that talks about the person needed to manage the data for a NPO: http://spurspectives.com/every-nonprofit-needs-a-data-guru-gatekeeper/

Thanks!
David Svet