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!
far afield
Reflecting on what database managing and farming have to do with each other. Come for the puns, stay for the data tips!
5 days in 5 minutes
How to filter a list based on another list, featuring one of my favorite data tools... the VLOOKUP! Plus, some examples for how this tool can be used for political organizing, and the "pull rabbit out of the hat" meme makes another appearance.
How can data promote interfaith solidarity?
On a pragmatic level, I offer 6.5 concrete ideas for interfaith solidarity in databases. On a conceptual level, I explore how databases built to promote religious tolerance can lead to behavioral change. What else is possible if we build systems that accommodate and celebrate the fabulous diversity of our communities? Thanks to colleague and mentor Andy Kirshner from IFYC for exploring these ideas with me over dumplings and bubble tea (the way to my heart!)
