David Murdoch
@davidmurdoch.bsky.social
Enthusiast for data, AI, and border collies. Data Programme Manager at Argyll & Bute Council. Views my own. #dataviz #AI
Glasgow, UK.
Glasgow, UK.
Confusing chart makes it look as if 3 of the top 9 councils are on 54%. According to article only 1 is, the next 3 highest are on 52%. It's fine to have 5% "bins" but showing individual columns of datapoints within each bin against the measurement axis misleads. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
June 23, 2025 at 7:03 AM
Confusing chart makes it look as if 3 of the top 9 councils are on 54%. According to article only 1 is, the next 3 highest are on 52%. It's fine to have 5% "bins" but showing individual columns of datapoints within each bin against the measurement axis misleads. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Charts from the Guardian. Gaps between 1967-1997 and 1997-2027 are both 30 years, yet the year labels aren't evenly spaced. If the trend's the point then why "misplace" 1997? And do the series start 1967 or earlier? In principle simple charts but odd design choices have managed to make them unclear.
June 11, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Charts from the Guardian. Gaps between 1967-1997 and 1997-2027 are both 30 years, yet the year labels aren't evenly spaced. If the trend's the point then why "misplace" 1997? And do the series start 1967 or earlier? In principle simple charts but odd design choices have managed to make them unclear.
Tour of Britain cycle race in Glasgow today. I don't for sure, but this team with their fancy black and yellow bikes might have the edge!
June 8, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Tour of Britain cycle race in Glasgow today. I don't for sure, but this team with their fancy black and yellow bikes might have the edge!
The Guardian's ad serving network seems to think I'm in the market for some military-grade drone tech. The US maker of the "MQ-9 Reaper" advertising in the Grauniad?! I guess if everyone with a paid-for Guardian subscription buys one then their sales could easily reach double digits.
April 23, 2025 at 7:05 AM
The Guardian's ad serving network seems to think I'm in the market for some military-grade drone tech. The US maker of the "MQ-9 Reaper" advertising in the Grauniad?! I guess if everyone with a paid-for Guardian subscription buys one then their sales could easily reach double digits.
News from ScotGov yesterday that Scotland's relative child poverty rate in 23/24 was down from 26% to 22% (acknowledging target of 18% was missed). Scottish Child Payment making a difference. As shown by this chart from the Fraser of Allander Institute is also directly helping reduce food insecurity
March 28, 2025 at 7:57 AM
News from ScotGov yesterday that Scotland's relative child poverty rate in 23/24 was down from 26% to 22% (acknowledging target of 18% was missed). Scottish Child Payment making a difference. As shown by this chart from the Fraser of Allander Institute is also directly helping reduce food insecurity
Given hightened international trade tensions we probably need a new technical #dataviz term for bar charts with flags on like this one.
"Flarts"!
"Flarts"!
February 4, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Given hightened international trade tensions we probably need a new technical #dataviz term for bar charts with flags on like this one.
"Flarts"!
"Flarts"!
40 years ago it took a generation for competition from Asia to disrupt US market dominance in domestic car manufacturing. In 2025 these market forces are emerging much more rapidly. Could the bloated #AI models of Silicon Valley go the way of the Detroit "gas guzzlers"? #DeepSeek #OpenAI
January 27, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Storm #eowyn cleanup is going to take weeks, months in some cases. Loss of so many trees in our urban spaces is tragic. (Corner of Dumbarton Road and Rosevale St.)
January 26, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Storm #eowyn cleanup is going to take weeks, months in some cases. Loss of so many trees in our urban spaces is tragic. (Corner of Dumbarton Road and Rosevale St.)
These are charts in circulation to sound a warning on young people becoming more socially isolated. With interest in older adult social care there seems to be a silver lining in the UK older age group hours-alone dropping from 8 to 7. The structural difference in distribution US/UK also of interest
January 20, 2025 at 7:26 AM
These are charts in circulation to sound a warning on young people becoming more socially isolated. With interest in older adult social care there seems to be a silver lining in the UK older age group hours-alone dropping from 8 to 7. The structural difference in distribution US/UK also of interest
Lovely day for a drive down to Kilmory HQ...
January 16, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Lovely day for a drive down to Kilmory HQ...
Kong balls are not the only thing of interest to our collie in Pets-at-Home, but they are #1 by a country mile!
January 12, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Kong balls are not the only thing of interest to our collie in Pets-at-Home, but they are #1 by a country mile!
Still on the hunt for that "Any" key...
January 7, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Still on the hunt for that "Any" key...
Jake & Ellwood want you to know that while, yes, they do continue to look cool wearing their Meta Ray Bans in the dimly-lit indoors, being a real-life, non-fictional character you might not. #BluesBrothers
January 6, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Jake & Ellwood want you to know that while, yes, they do continue to look cool wearing their Meta Ray Bans in the dimly-lit indoors, being a real-life, non-fictional character you might not. #BluesBrothers
A week ago I was aiming to enter 2025 revitalised and reenergised. Today l'm realigning my expectations to just "rumpled"...
December 31, 2024 at 12:40 PM
A week ago I was aiming to enter 2025 revitalised and reenergised. Today l'm realigning my expectations to just "rumpled"...
Adding more of what worked last time isn't always the best route to a desired goal. LLMs may not be the path to AGI, regardless how many billion parameters are added...
December 23, 2024 at 6:08 PM
Adding more of what worked last time isn't always the best route to a desired goal. LLMs may not be the path to AGI, regardless how many billion parameters are added...
How important is context in data? A new Reuters report says fast fashion brand Shein uses 75% Polyester in its clothing with less than 10% cotton. How bad is that? Credit to Lutz Walter on LinkedIn for the chart: Shien sits directly under the oil well, which can’t be a good sign for sustainability!
December 17, 2024 at 9:53 PM
How important is context in data? A new Reuters report says fast fashion brand Shein uses 75% Polyester in its clothing with less than 10% cotton. How bad is that? Credit to Lutz Walter on LinkedIn for the chart: Shien sits directly under the oil well, which can’t be a good sign for sustainability!
Lennon assured the maid that, while Krishna teaches there are no certainties in life, what she'd found was definitely just a spill from his and Yoko's room-service chocolate mousse.
December 15, 2024 at 12:39 PM
Lennon assured the maid that, while Krishna teaches there are no certainties in life, what she'd found was definitely just a spill from his and Yoko's room-service chocolate mousse.
It's been all down hill since the sprocket-fed dot matrix. Plus you got to tear off the perforated paper edges. Almost as satisfying as popping bubblewrap, on the rare occassions they came off cleanly! #fiftyfifty #1980sICT
December 10, 2024 at 8:40 AM
It's been all down hill since the sprocket-fed dot matrix. Plus you got to tear off the perforated paper edges. Almost as satisfying as popping bubblewrap, on the rare occassions they came off cleanly! #fiftyfifty #1980sICT
Asked Bing to generate a highly valuable banana-based artwork. Sotheby’s… call me!
December 8, 2024 at 6:28 PM
Asked Bing to generate a highly valuable banana-based artwork. Sotheby’s… call me!
If you're planning a visit to Gran Canaria for some winter sun, I can recommend the dolphin show at Palmitos Park...
December 8, 2024 at 10:30 AM
If you're planning a visit to Gran Canaria for some winter sun, I can recommend the dolphin show at Palmitos Park...