Ready to be a data scientist but nor sure where to start? This useful image describes how R programming and Python are used within data science, from their unique development history to salary commanded in the data science field. You can compare the pros and cons for each programming language, and learn to select the right one for your development needs.
Infographic courtesy of DataCamp
Stephen Goldsmith of Harvard Kennedy School speaks on the value of data within government agencies
This post features a video of an informal presentation from Stephen Goldsmith. The talk was given in Chicago at the Microsoft Technology Center as part of the meetup group Chicago City Data User Group. Goldsmith showed innovation and thought leadership during his roles as Deputy Mayor of New York City and two-term Mayor of Indianapolis. His efforts changed how many cities view technology as a driver of physical and civic improvement. He is now the Daniel Paul Professor of Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
The talk centers on the civic usage of data. A brief 30 minute discussion, Goldsmith noted about the challenging need to use data to improve the discretion of government agency managers. Goldsmith believed that the data should not be used to embolden bureaucratic processes, but to instead align those processes to serve citizens better and to better deploy precious resources. Check out his comments and insights in the video below.
The Chicago Javascript Meetup group - otherwise called js.chi() - hosted a meetup on asynchronous Javascript (Editor's note: this is a bit of a latergram - the presentation was on August 26th, 2014). Users of Google Analytics certainly have heard the term async - asynchronous code was introduced in 2009. But what does “async" mean in general? Here’s a brief run down:
JavaScript is a single-threaded language. The phrase "single-threaded" means that invoking a long-running process blocks all execution until that process completes. Think of this as a moving up and down a ladder - you can’t really skip a rung to go down or up. Imagine that, and you have an idea of how JavaScript works. It also draws imagery of what challenges can occur: single UI elements are unresponsive, animations pause, and no other code in the app can run.
The solution to this problem is to avoid synchronous execution where possible. One way of deploying asynchronous JavaScript is to have a JavaScript function execute at a later time. Event handlers are an example; Event handlers are invoked after another call has raised an event. Callback functions are another kind of asynchronous processing, because they call back into the code that initiated the process.
Getting back to the presentation, Alex Castrounis (@innoarchitech), a JavaScript enthusiast who runs a JavaScript resource site, Innoarchitech, asked the audience if they thought JavaScript is asynchronous? They answer was no, it is not. He goes on to note how async and promises play hand in hand in improving JavaScript functionality.
Alex then goes through the JavaScript engines that help set up the definition of promises. Promises are the result of an asynchronous results, allowing for executing multiple async calls without blocking event loops. Alex explains in detail how they are used, when to use them, and their benefits. You can check out the slides from Alex’s presentation at Slides.com (click on the image below).
Alex mentions some details about JavaScript engines and how they relate to promises. Engines such as Spidermonkey, chromenode.js, and V8 play into the message queue and event loop because of their components - interpreter, heap (where objects and variable reside) , and call stack. Message queues and event loops are part of the promise functionality flow.
You can see past talks and other member information posted on the Chicago Javascript group - called " js.chi()" - on their Meetup page. The Chicago Javascript group was formed in 2008 and has been a staple of gathering the developer community around the Javascript language.
Additional information for slides and code from Alex are below:
Slides: http://slides.com/alexcastrounis/async-js-promises#/
Code: https://github.com/acastrounis/async-js-promises
Blog: http://www.innoarchitech.com/asynchronous-javascript-promises/
Reviewing analytics data can help plan the next ideas for your blog
Creating content that attracts visitors to your site or blog is never easy. The value for content certainly exists. Marketing Profs noted that 79% of B2B firms that deploy content marketing create articles. But creating and implementing content when you’re on the hook to get it done is hard.
But as interest in content marketing has developed over the past few years, a few new tools and new platforms have sprung up to improve idea creation. A few steps can make brainstorming less formidable and reveal the topics that your customers care about.
The aforementioned tips can provide a manageable list of sources for highly regarded topics. Give these a try to reenergize your content, enhance your measurement results for your blog, and connect with your customers further.
Do you have older content? Check out this older Zimana post on “evergreen” posts - posts topics that can be revitalized periodically to keep a blogsite fresh
Still learning how to best leverage Twitter for your small business? This infographic from Twitter via its Small Business group explains several details on how Twitter can drive exposure to all your online properties. The details are based on a study between Twitter and DB5, a research firm, in which over 1,00o small business were queried. Read below for the best ideas to boost your business.
Authors of The Entrepreneur Within Volume 3; Julie Holloway, Vau've Davis, Pierre DeBois, Dr. Toi Dennis, Andrea "Dre" Nichols Everett, Tamika Maria Price
The TEW3 Volume 3 authors, at the book launch party just outside of Chicago.
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