How to save multiple versions of a doc in Google Drive... to the tune of "How to Save a Life" by the Fray. Come for the spoof, stay for the tips!
Blog
Ifs, Ands, AND Buts
Here's a recipe for how to use Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs, If Statements, and the Concatenate function to take bigger data sets and manipulate them, saving you TONS of time so you can get back to organizing or putting your feet up. Plus, some lessons on segmentation. And some puns!
re”form” versus revolution
Government forms are notoriously awful! Good thing The Lab @ DC set out to redesign and re"form"at them! We could all learn from their example. Plus, some meta-analysis about my last post #WeWillNotBeErased. Come for the puns, stay for the learning!
#WeWillNotBeErased – a mandate for database admins and survey researchers
The federal government's plan to define sex as "either male or female" and "unchangeable" is not only a measure of social control, but also a question of data collection and retention. In this post, best practices on *when* and *how* to collect data on gender identity and sex or sexual orientation. And a bunch of thoughts about erasure, coming out, and our political regime.
syncing ship
It's time for end of year fundraising, so you export your data for volunteers, but then gifts come in and spreadsheets need to be refreshed. How do you handle the spreadsheet chaos? Meet my friend Ryan and how they can use good documentation to streamline this very confusing situation! Plus, some good puns!
save me from Outlook calendar
outlook calendar is the absolute worst!, a rhyming poem.
consistency is everything
What does cookie decorating have to do with spreadsheets? Consistency of course! Come for the Royal Icing recipe and stay for the tips about standardizing your data.
know one nose it all
A treatise on mystery, learning, and shame. A joyous reflection on NPSP Day Philadelphia. And a spreadsheet tip you might not know you needed.
Do you learn from your mistakes?
What is a mistake? Let's use the etymology to learn some lessons about mistakes and spreadsheets. Plus, puns and a recommendation for learning more.
mixed messages
On one hand, data skills are impossible to learn (and we blame the individual). On the other hand, companies tell us that advanced coding skills are easy to develop, 1, 2, 3! How can these be true at the same time? Who benefits from these messages? It's classic capitalism doublespeak: make non-data people feel insignificant and intimidated, then sell us a solution to our problem. I call BULLSHIT on these dynamics and offer 8 tips for wrangling a sloppy spreadsheet that you can use right away!
