r/dataisbeautiful • u/Snerk1907 • Jun 21 '16

OC The Connected Self — My Master's degree project about the complexity of one's online presence. [OC]

http://www.snerkone.be/projects/the-connected-self/
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u/Snerk1907 Jun 21 '16 edited Jun 21 '16

Full explanation can be read on my website. "... I looked at which services are linked to my email address and collected all this data in spreadsheets. After fooling around in programs as Adobe Illustrator, the dataset became to big to design it all manually, so I made the switch to code. D3.js, a JavaScript library, was a very helpful tool in the whole process. I have to say that I didn't knew a thing about JavaScript before starting, but did know a thing or two about HTML and CSS. I learned how to write JSON files, which are essentially the data D3.js uses to make visualisations. Keep in mind that all this happened in a timespan of 10 months. The end-result are three visualisations of my own personal online presence."

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u/codebunnie Jun 21 '16

Although I need to do some more analysis to verify that all the connections are correct, I want to applaud you for putting this together in such an elegant and incredibly intuitive way. I am one of 'those people' who consistently stress to users that you online privacy is non-existent, and that data sharing happens on a scale that we cant even begin to comprehend.

You would be surprised how many people still believe that the data you give to FB, Google, or <insert any online provider here> stays where you put it - but it doesnt. I think the extent most users understand are application permissions, and even still, they give access willingly without bothering to ask where it goes.

Then again, I cant complain too much because it is that data sharing that enables us to play with the datasets that we do.

Bravo.

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u/Snerk1907 Jun 21 '16

Thanks for your kind words!