CHAPTER 2

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A Critical View of Information Visualization

We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom.

—E. O. Wilson

In this chapter, first I will go into more detail about the differences between dashboards and business analytical applications. I go through the history of these applications. I then go into some detail on the confusion surrounding each, specifically as it relates to data visualization. Next I’ll talk about what makes for a bad visualization.

Understanding the Problem

When I talk about dashboards in this book, I’m specifically referring to the information dashboards used by businesses, nonprofits, and government organizations, ...

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