Directionally Correct: Hummers or Hybrids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3vLGJDzbcs To each his or her own. I have friends who drive Hummers (original and lite versions) and friends who drive hybrid cars (mostly Priuses and a few Highlanders). In both cases, I sense that the choices are not accidental but rather very deliberate. Efficiency of Dashboards The efficiency and reasonable size of the hybrids fits other visible aspects of the owner’s lifestyle and “presentation of self” in an Erving Goffman sense.* Embracing the latest engineering trends and high MPG performance are perceived as good things by these friends. At the other end of the trendy spectrum, Hummers did start out on the battlefield and are great performers in rugged environments. The engineering works for good in the right environment, but is somewhat out of touch with most sentiments today for responsibly conveying purchases from Whole Foods to the home front. There may be legitimate personal preferences to perpetuate older engineering trends, like my neighbor across the street who tows a very large boat with two gigantic outboard engines on a 30-plus foot boat trailer. Effective, but not very efficient. Efficiency of Visual Analytics In the enterprise management software space, we have similar forces at work. Tried-and-true dashboard methods for monitoring software performance have been around for a long time. They are not very nimble or efficient. Most glaring, they do not meet the needs of team members who need up-to-date information and insight to manage customer expectations in a changing environment. More modern Visual Analytic approaches have been recently developed to bring efficiency, speed and universal understanding to the monitoring space. These approaches outshine the more laborious dashboard approach in most environments. Just like needing a Hummer during dangerous search and rescue missions, sometimes you need a dashboard. But most of the time, users are better served by nimble, efficient visual analytics. Monitoring status can be conveyed faster, with more insight and understanding, and understood by a broader audience with Visual Analytics. So get with the new trends and investigate Visual Analytics. See it. Fix it.