2013-11-06
Original: 2013-11-06 on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
TITLE: The Top 6 Reasons This Infographic Is Just Wrong Enough To Sound Convincing
(The "6" is a large stylized numeral.)
1. All of our information is from Wikipedia, none of which we heard in science survey courses but never fact-checked, and assertions by clearly biased organizations.
(Accompanying graphic: a map of the United States shaded in blue, labeled "According to Infographic Sciences of America*, 100% of businesses result from disgruntled regardless of quality." A small arrow points to a spot with the note "Why did this happen?" Tiny footnote: "This is confirmed by SOCIOLOGY*, PSYCHOLOGY*, and POLITICAL ECONOMY*.")
2. We use statistics that are only important if you don't think about them.
(Graphic: a large red square reading "100%" with text "100% of Canadia* contain POTENTIAL INFOGRAPHIC READERS." Footnote: "Did you know, the NUMBER ONE source of current INFOGRAPHIC READERS is POTENTIAL INFOGRAPHIC READERS?")
3. We move seamlessly between real dollars, nominal dollars, and percentages.
(Graphic: "$1,000" with a small dial/coin icon and a note "For just 1% of YOUR WORKFORCE'S salary, which may be as low as $1,000 to $640 today, you could turn $31,000 in cash, RIGHT NOW." Below: a large "1%" and "$31,000" with stacks of dollar bills.)
4. We have line graphs with absurd scaling AND two variables on the same axis.
(Graphic: a line graph. Y-axis ranges from 0.1% at top to -0.5% at bottom; X-axis labeled "Time." The curve is labeled "TIPPING POINT?" A side label reads "Number Of Neurons Engaged In Infographic Consumption The Second." Other axis label fragment: "Decrease Difference Between Infographic Tipping Companies And Non-Infographic Using Companies.")
5. We use polar area diagrams. Ever.
(Graphic: a multicolored polar area / pie-like diagram with a legend listing percentages:
- 90% of the time, a bar graph would've been better.
- 38% of the time, a pie chart would've been better.
- 56% of people will never use a polar area diagram outside of the polar area diagram.
- 100% of polar area diagrams really, really suck.
- 0% of humans even know how to calculate the area of a circular sector.*
- 100% of this data doesn't touch the center of the graph, despite like it's enraging.
- 100% of the time, this doesn't touch the center of the graph.)
6. We have so many asterisks* after our claims that it'd take a week** to determine whether anything in the diagram is meaningful.
(Footnotes: * Reference: Books. ** Not all the time. ** Footnote valid for combinations of sufficiently *** This is for primarily an indication of authority. *** This is for an Election-related event. **** Source: This diagram.)
Bottom credit: By Joel Watson, OHME Comics.com & illustrated by Russ Stone PRComicsmovie.com
Button: CLICK TO BUY A POSTER OF THIS COMIC!
Votey:
Panel showing two people. A woman in the background (with glasses) speaks: "NOBODY EVEN KNOWS WHAT POLAR AREA DIAGRAMS ARE."
A man in the foreground, looking annoyed/exasperated, replies: "I HATE THEM SO MUCH."
(The "6" is a large stylized numeral.)
1. All of our information is from Wikipedia, none of which we heard in science survey courses but never fact-checked, and assertions by clearly biased organizations.
(Accompanying graphic: a map of the United States shaded in blue, labeled "According to Infographic Sciences of America*, 100% of businesses result from disgruntled regardless of quality." A small arrow points to a spot with the note "Why did this happen?" Tiny footnote: "This is confirmed by SOCIOLOGY*, PSYCHOLOGY*, and POLITICAL ECONOMY*.")
2. We use statistics that are only important if you don't think about them.
(Graphic: a large red square reading "100%" with text "100% of Canadia* contain POTENTIAL INFOGRAPHIC READERS." Footnote: "Did you know, the NUMBER ONE source of current INFOGRAPHIC READERS is POTENTIAL INFOGRAPHIC READERS?")
3. We move seamlessly between real dollars, nominal dollars, and percentages.
(Graphic: "$1,000" with a small dial/coin icon and a note "For just 1% of YOUR WORKFORCE'S salary, which may be as low as $1,000 to $640 today, you could turn $31,000 in cash, RIGHT NOW." Below: a large "1%" and "$31,000" with stacks of dollar bills.)
4. We have line graphs with absurd scaling AND two variables on the same axis.
(Graphic: a line graph. Y-axis ranges from 0.1% at top to -0.5% at bottom; X-axis labeled "Time." The curve is labeled "TIPPING POINT?" A side label reads "Number Of Neurons Engaged In Infographic Consumption The Second." Other axis label fragment: "Decrease Difference Between Infographic Tipping Companies And Non-Infographic Using Companies.")
5. We use polar area diagrams. Ever.
(Graphic: a multicolored polar area / pie-like diagram with a legend listing percentages:
- 90% of the time, a bar graph would've been better.
- 38% of the time, a pie chart would've been better.
- 56% of people will never use a polar area diagram outside of the polar area diagram.
- 100% of polar area diagrams really, really suck.
- 0% of humans even know how to calculate the area of a circular sector.*
- 100% of this data doesn't touch the center of the graph, despite like it's enraging.
- 100% of the time, this doesn't touch the center of the graph.)
6. We have so many asterisks* after our claims that it'd take a week** to determine whether anything in the diagram is meaningful.
(Footnotes: * Reference: Books. ** Not all the time. ** Footnote valid for combinations of sufficiently *** This is for primarily an indication of authority. *** This is for an Election-related event. **** Source: This diagram.)
Bottom credit: By Joel Watson, OHME Comics.com & illustrated by Russ Stone PRComicsmovie.com
Button: CLICK TO BUY A POSTER OF THIS COMIC!
Votey:
Panel showing two people. A woman in the background (with glasses) speaks: "NOBODY EVEN KNOWS WHAT POLAR AREA DIAGRAMS ARE."
A man in the foreground, looking annoyed/exasperated, replies: "I HATE THEM SO MUCH."
Alt text
A tall satirical infographic titled "The Top 6 Reasons This Infographic Is Just Wrong Enough To Sound Convincing," mocking the cliches of viral infographics. The 6 is a huge stylized numeral. Six numbered points, each paired with a deliberately misleading chart: (1) "All of our information is from Wikipedia" beside a blue US map with a meaningless caption and fake field citations (Sociology, Psychology, Political Economy). (2) "We use statistics that are only important if you don't think about them" beside a giant red "100%" claiming all of Canada contains potential infographic readers. (3) "We move seamlessly between real dollars, nominal dollars, and percentages" beside jumbled "$1,000," "1%," and "$31,000" with stacks of cash. (4) "We have line graphs with absurd scaling AND two variables on the same axis" beside a nonsensical line graph with a "TIPPING POINT?" label and a tiny percentage scale. (5) "We use polar area diagrams. Ever." beside a garish multicolored polar-area diagram whose legend lists absurd stats like "90% of the time, a bar graph would've been better" and "100% of polar area diagrams really, really suck." (6) "We have so many asterisks after our claims that it'd take a week to determine whether anything in the diagram is meaningful," followed by a pile of contradictory footnotes. A yellow button at the bottom reads "CLICK TO BUY A POSTER OF THIS COMIC!" The votey is a single drawn panel: a woman with glasses in the background says "NOBODY EVEN KNOWS WHAT POLAR AREA DIAGRAMS ARE," and an exasperated-looking man in the foreground replies "I HATE THEM SO MUCH."
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.