Wow, another post where I point out that I haven't written for months. A lot has been accomplished. I wanted a job where I learned. DONE. I've been at The Associated Press for almost nine months now -- I can't believe it myself. I like to think I contribute in myriad ways, but two "things" I'm most proud of are our mapping systems, which I've had the fun of taking the lead on, as far as the development side goes Read More...
I had the sincere honor of presenting at NICAR 2012 in St. Louis for the second year in a row. I provide the takeaway materials here, if you find them useful. (more...)
Returned yesterday from my third time at the Computer-Assisted Reporting conference -- this time in St. Louis. Like clockwork, I talked myself out of a voice, as I do every year. But this year -- it was different in other ways. (more...)
We stand on the shoulders of giants. Any of us coming to the field know this. I speak often, perhaps obsessively, about my mentors. But who inspired them? What was it like to be part of the field bringing the rigor of data analysis and social science, and the precision of emerging technology, to our journalistic craft? When I say the name Phil Meyer, some in our community know him personally, some may have read his landmark book Precision Journalism, some may recognize the name as part of Investigative Reporters and Editors annual award contest Read More...
In my "free" time, I help people who are also on the JavaScript learning journey. Here's a query, paraphrased. How can I count how many points I currently have displayed on a Fusion Table layer of a Google Map? This would be especially helpful when we're using filters, to show how many points are currently displaying Read More...
I'm now just beyond five months into an amazing opportunity. When I introduce myself as working at the AP, I always cringe a bit. Perhaps people think I work there because it's the AP, and it's big, and has many resources, and there's a lot to do. But that's not the sum total reason. I am supported, appreciated, pushed Read More...
It occured to me that I haven't posted an update since the last one, which was a measured account of my self-doubts when it comes to programming. I really appreciate the support and outreach I've gotten from the community about this. Three weeks later, I finished said Backbone project, with a lot of help from smart people, but I did it Read More...
I've been in a rather dark, pressure-filled place in my journey the past couple of weeks. You can tell, more posts here about my feelings, rather than code. Less posting on Twitter about anything work-related, or anything at all during the work week. The usual "How are you?" is greeted with an exasperated sigh, rather than my usual "Life is awesome!" It's something to do with another level I'm trying to attain in my career, a lack of balance, a frustration with not being able to do what I wish I could Read More...
Some people make New Years' Resolutions. Some people make them before January 2. I would not be one of these people. But, instead, I publicly declare (for accountability's sake), that this year is going to be different. 2011 was the year of extremes. Life is great! (I learned so much!) Life is horrible! (Anything to do with needles and hospital beds Read More...
After my approach to a nervous breakdown last week, kind people in the community have helped me get back on track. I have restructured my current big project so it no longer includes a "miscellaneous" function, and is sorted into logical pieces. I am also seeking to learn the actual vocabulary fo what things in programming are called, because conversations like this are not really a good thing: "Then, I put it into the thing with the curly brackets, and then I tried to access the thing with the other thing, and there was an error, which mentioned another thing that I didn't understand Read More...
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