[CivicAccess-discuss] social network popularity map

[Tracey P. Lauriault]

It is a pretty cool idea for a map but this map lies, misleads or at best
has huge limitations!  The data used to create the map are derived only from
those who have an alexa toolbar thinggy on their browser (
http://www.alexa.com/site/download), there are no metadata, the algorith is
not clear, the legend shows only one social networks in each country and
these represent only traffic by those social networks and not the number of
members which again is only traffic filtered through alexa.  Presumably, the
social networks associated with each country are those with the highest
alexa use rank for those particular social networks that rank the highest.
The map includes no ranks, numbers, story, etc.  It is but a picture with
lots of colours that happens to be organized into the shape of the world.

see - *How to Lie with Maps*, by Mark Monmonnier -
http://www.mcwetboy.net/maproom/2006/05/review_how_to_l.php



On Wed, Oct 22, 2008 at 11:37 AM, Hugh McGuire <hugh at hughmcguire.net> wrote:

> http://www.oxyweb.co.uk/blog/socialnetworkmapoftheworld.php
> _______________________________________________
> CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
> CivicAccess-discuss at civicaccess.ca
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-- 
Tracey P. Lauriault
613-234-2805
https://gcrc.carleton.ca/confluence/display/GCRCWEB/Lauriault
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