More Fun Maps

There's a link to the Strange Maps blog on the left-hand column. I'd like to encourage community indicators practitioners to take a look at it, if you haven't recently.

Besides an amusing map of Montana (divided into fringe groups), there's this great map about blondness in Europe:



Why do I point out these maps? Because community indicators are about storytelling, and storytelling is often about visualizations, and because most community indicator reports have fascinating information obscured by conventional Excel-created charts and graphs.

I don't have the answers to perfect data display technology or storytelling. Dr. Hans Rosling suggests technology -- the right instrument -- is an important part of the solution.

I just know that sometimes the creative-but-silly ways other people display information can trigger a new way to look at our continuing problem of making data relevant and meaningful in the lives of ordinary people and decision makers in our community.

So take a peek -- it's fun, and I applaud the work they're doing to pull together these maps.