This Week in Relevance

Design a Cool Heat Map, Win an iPad

As we have mentioned in many posts, we love tools that make visualization, and ultimately comprehension, of complex data sets more simple. Data is the driving force behind ad relevance and without the ability to visualize massive data sets, it is difficult to make odds or ends of them.

Pete Warden has done this in spades with his OpenHeatMap tool – for example, here’s an awesome visualization of Facebook profile data created with his tool:

To celebrate Pete’s work, we’ve launched a little contest for all of you data geeks out there. We are taking submissions starting today (9/7/10) of OpenHeatMaps designed by YOU. These can be created in as little as 5 minutes and all you need is a spreadsheet, so even the tech novices can participate. The coolest submission will win an iPad, but anyone who participates will receive their very own OpenHeatMap T-Shirt.

Here’s a few more examples of great Heat Maps already designed by early contest entrants:

A Look at How Smoking in Scotland Varies by Region

All Geo References on Wikipedia

Risk of Accident in Washington City, UT

Contest Rules
• Use OpenHeatMap to generate an interactive online map that leverages any data set that embeds locations.
• Send your finished Heat Map to us at twir-contest@datapop.com for review.
• Heat Maps that have been produced previously and resubmitted will not qualify.
• Each entry will receive an OpenHeatMap T-Shirt from the creator, Pete Warden.
• Pete will be available via e-mail or chat on the OpenHeatMap site throughout the contest to help troubleshoot.
• Contest runs through 9/24/10 and the top 5 entries will be posted on this blog by 9/28/10.
• Our users will determine the best entry via poll and the winner will be announced on 10/1/10 (we love the 1s and 0s).
• Winner will receive their new 16G WiFi iPad within one week of being announced.

Please send any questions you have about the contest to twir-contest@datapop.com and any questions you may have about OpenHeatMap to pete@petewarden.com. Additionally, please share this contest with anyone you think would be interested – the more entries, the more exciting the results will be!

Remember, please send all finished Heat Maps to twir-contest@datapop.com for consideration in this contest.

Happy Mapping!

Best,

This Week in Relevance Team