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theory

08.17.10

Fighting for my life: The largest battle I ever won health, theory | (0)
I've been doing a lot of soul searching recently, and coding. Trying to remember why I decided to learn how to program. It was always for journalism. Never transitioning out of the profession, only transitioning within it, and helping it to transition. I've been paying rapt attention to the journey of designer/journalist Chris Courtney. He's fighting a battle bigger than the ones we fight against agencies refusing to hand over document, journalists stuck in an old mindset, people too bored by media to become informed. He's fighting cancer. We don't know each other, Chris, but I've followed your work, and I've been ...
07.11.10

First LAT app (or the butterfly on my windowsill) CAR, data visualizations, django, programming, projects, theory, web | (0)
http://projects.latimes.com/prop8 So, there's that. First launch! My checklist: Figure out what part of journalism inspires me. CHECK (Data, programming) Find place where I can learn about it from others, but have freedom to try out my ideas and learn from knowledgeable and patient folks. CHECK (LAT) Use this opportunity to learn enough about programming to create at least one app. CHECK (See first line of post) That was a good time. I'm planning a post on best practices for creating a searchable database application like this, with examples, and technical geekery, and all that, and I'd love your thoughts in the meantime. Let me know if you ...
06.13.10

Post IRE wrap-up + shameless self-promotion theory | (2)
UPDATE: This update brought to you by Vegas airport wi-fi. Added additional female programmer to my list below, thanks to a tip in the comments from the ever-present-in-my-life Derek Willis *waves*. Do any of you know others I should add to the list? Also fixed minor typos and omitted words, and added a few links I meant to include. Omissions resulting from blogging at 3:30 am. Painted blue skies inside IRE hotel messed up my sleep pattern more than usual -- although it's pretty messed up to begin with. If we just met in the last few days at the awesome ...
06.05.10

J-school: It’s relevant but demands you take charge data visualizations, django, theory | (3)
I love journalism shop-talk chat, really. Of course, I'd rather be DOING the journalism, but it's important to see where others are at, and it's kind of fun to feel like part of the club, and dream about the future. The #wjchat chats on Twitter emerged about the same time my data journey started, but my participation in these activities has dropped off recently. This is especially ironic this past week, as the discussion centered on the relevance of j-schools. And I've been thinking about that topic a lot. After all, two weeks from today, I officially graduate from Medill. I'm ...
05.03.10

Note to self: Real world journo-coding lessons data visualizations, django, theory | (0)
Notice how your Google reader got a bit emptier than usual? Didn't think so. But it recently occured to me that I haven't posted in eons. Why is that? Part of it has been the chaos of moving, spending time exploring LA. The other part is that I'm finally walking the walk every day. I stepped out of the Medill bubble, valiantly tried to explain to my friends and family what I'm doing out in California. "We'll look for your articles!" "Do you write feature stories?" Me: "I tell stories through data. No? I do geeky stuff to create interactive apps ...
04.07.10

Columbia’s new joint MS: Good start, but no panacea CAR, data visualizations, education, programming, theory | (3)
We've been retweeting it and raving about it all day in the data community - Columbia has made a big, big step forward in data journalism education by offering a new joint masters in journalism and computer science. We can add modules to existing curricula all we want, but this is a giant leap. There is a subset of journalists who need to learn to code. This certainly can't hurt, and can only help journalists, right? What will be interesting is what the graduates actually do with the degree. I didn't retweet it for a few hours, because, for once, an ...
04.05.10

Women with coding skills are no Passover miracle theory | (1)
Today, at sunset, the Jewish people mark the end of Passover. I know the High Holy Days are the most, well, holy, but I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Passover. The English major in me likes that everything has symbolism (salt water, matzo, lamb bone, etc.), the journalist in me loves a good story and roots for the underdog and the Jewish part of me likes the cooking and the eating and the communing and the eating.... And now, something new! There's a connection between Passover and coding. So many assume coding skills are magic, ...

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