PowerPoint tips

Data visualization, User Interfaces, Data mining, web statistics, the presentation of information in a clear and consistent manner.

They are the things I think about when I am not enjoying my family or spending time with friends or surfing on Facebook.

Last year I needed to do a presentation for work and was worried that I was not getting my point across.

I happened across Juice Analytics if you like data analysis or business intellegence this blog is for you.

Below are some of my favorite postings from the site about powerpoint. Hope you find them helpful!

Here are some ideas to tame busy, confusing slides.


http://www.juiceanalytics.com/writing/8-ideas-better-slides/

Chart Chooser is an online tool that answers two questions we commonly get:

1. What type of chart should I use to show my data?
2. How can I make good looking Excel or PowerPoint charts?
   
   http://www.juiceanalytics.com/writing/introducing-chart-chooser/

The business world is awash in piles of words mis-classified as PowerPoint presentations. There are, however, a few things that can make a big difference for your audience. Before you save your PowerPoint file as "final" and send to print, here's a checklist of things that you should always do, do more of, do less of, and never do.

http://www.juiceanalytics.com/writing/always-simplify-never-screenbean/

Sometimes when you're starting a presentation, you need a little help getting over the hump in deciding how to present data and concepts. The following PowerPoint deck contains a collection of ideas and visuals that can help when you're brainstorming.

http://www.juiceanalytics.com/writing/100-powerpoint-ideas/

Settings I used to speed up mediawiki

After installing APC I used the following settings

$wgMainCacheType = CACHE_ACCEL;
$wgEnableParserCache =
true;
$wgParserCacheType = CACHE_ACCEL; # optional
$wgMessageCacheType =
CACHE_ACCEL; # optional
$wgMemCachedServers = array( "xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:11211"
);
$wgSessionsInMemcached = true; #
optional
$wgLocalMessageCache="/tmp/wikimessgcache";
$wgUseFileCache=true;
$wgUseFileCacheDirectory="/tmp/wikicache";
$wgShowIPinHeader=false;
$wgUseDatabaseMessages=false;
$wgDisableCounters=true;

Got most if not all the info from here: (http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_FAQ)
and here: (http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Configuration_settings#Cache)

I can haz compiler?

If you love programming then this is for you. LINK

@font-face CSS tip

this is a great way to make a font face available.

This can help eliminate some headaches on choosing type for a website.

Found it here: Link

/* A font by Jos Buivenga (exljbris) -> www.exljbris.nl */
@font-face {
font-family: “Fertigo”;
src: url(http://www.taptaptap.com/Fertigo.otf)
format(”opentype”);
}

OpenDNS

Found this great service for home.

Its a free DNS replacement that lets you control what people connecting from home can see.

Its a great way to protect your family from some of the dangers on the web.

http://www.opendns.com/welcome/intro/

Cool map images

The Los Angeles Interchange Series is a collection of maps created during the summer of 2007 using one projection, one collective geography, and one aspect of the built environment. If printed end to end, this series of maps is over 100 feet in length.

http://www.nikolasschiller.com/blog/index.php/archives/category/location/california/los-angeles/interchanges/

Tip for the day: Recursive GREP on Solaris

great command for recursive grepping in Solaris:

find . xargs grep ‘Your Grep Value’

Found it here:

http://blogyourfaze.blogspot.com/2007/09/tip-for-day-recursive-grep-on-solaris.html