In this installment of Dear Spreadsheet Whisperer, we hear from an old friend who's storing contact information in.... Quickbooks! I offer advice about how to make better use of contact segmentation features and how to begin to explore a better database system.
spreadsheet bliss
Isn't it great when spreadsheets just WORK, making your repetitive tasks faster and more accurate? Here are two examples of spreadsheet tools I've built with a combination of Salesforce exports and spreadsheet prowess. Using them makes me feel proud and blissful!
private eye
In which I explore topics like cybersecurity, GDPR, privacy and accountability ... juxtaposed with how and when to collect demographic data. *Content warning* for discussion of sexual violence, im/migration status, and racism.
pain in the ass
Come for the puns, stay for the spreadsheets! I had surgery to remove a cyst, and now I have to use a spreadsheet to track my drainage. CW for discussion of medicine, surgery, and bodily fluids.
it doesn’t have to be this way
A new motto to help us grow technological resilience. An infographic (kind of). A reflection on why this blog is so important to me. A double dose of imagination. And more!
#GivingTuesday data roundup
A round-up of data and resources on the effectiveness of Giving Tuesday. TLDR? Looks like GT doesn't have a negative impact on end of year fundraising.
Small is beautiful, but so is scale! Or, how to embrace data strategy and reject underdog-ism
We ought to hold our movement organizations accountable from becoming a mirror image of the status quo. We can do all of that while embracing smart tools, systems, and infrastructure that will enable us to grow. Small is beautiful, but we can't stay small forever.
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.
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!
