• FrankFrankson@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    134
    arrow-down
    37
    ·
    1 year ago

    This is a weird ass pie chart using the US map as a base right? If I am correct then this is a terrible way to display this data.

    • Neato@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      117
      arrow-down
      12
      ·
      1 year ago

      Why? It gives people a relatable size and shape to compare to. Like saying the 100 richest landowners own equivalent to Florida.

      • FrankFrankson@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        50
        arrow-down
        12
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        I get that but it needs to be labeled some way to clarify this at least. A lot of people look at this and could easily think it is what each area has the most of and that the positions of the types of land have something to do with the states they are near or cover.

        • n33rg@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          22
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Agreed. I definitely thought that at first, thinking some of them seemed very off. Glad I read these comments. It’s especially confusing considering where some things are in the map that it seams almost believable for example that NY/NJ are made up mostly of mostly urban and commercial areas.

          But it is a good chart (not map) for what it’s intended to show with some perspective provided in proper labeling.

        • Misconduct@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          A lot of people sure keep saying “a lot of people” and getting mad at the graph instead of just laughing it off that they didn’t get it at first. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t immediately understand something.

          • FrankFrankson@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            1 year ago

            It’s an infographic. It’s purpose is to be understandable at a glance. I thought it was a pie chart then second guessed myself then read the comments and saw a lot of comments that were confused about it. You think I am saying “A lot of people” when I mean “just me I didn’t get this shit at all but I am going to say a lot of people to cover that up”? Read other comments here… a lot of comments (which I assume come from different people) seem like those writing them are confused.

            I don’t have any anger here. It’s a random infographic. If something like this was presented to me at a job where I needed a clear concise answer immediatley and my job depended on me using it… then I dunno maybe anger and frustration then?

            I think you are reading things into my words that are not there.

            Anyway TLDR: Inforgraphics are supposed to be understandable at a glance…this one is not therefore it is not a very good infographic. I dunno why I would laugh about it either…it’s an infographic.

      • squiblet@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        It’s very difficult to compare relative sizes at a glance compared to a pie chart, or other styles like just a bar graph. This is a graph crime.

    • Swedneck
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      46
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      i really do not understand how anyone can be confused by this, obviously it’s not a geographical map because new mexico does not contain the sum total of all american railways…

      It’s a fine graph that gives an intuitive sense for how much area is used for each thing.

      • renownedballoonthief@lemmygrad.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        It’s really funny to imagine it literally, though.

        “We’ll I’d heard some bad things about West Texas highways, but this just seems excessive.”

        • Swedneck
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          1 year ago

          No no, that’s the Grand Texan Runway for landing and takeoff of the death star!

      • FrankFrankson@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Yeah and Michigan doesn’t contain all the idle/fallow land in the US but the problem is some people look at this and think that Michigan contains the most idle/fallow land in the US which is why it was used to represent that portion of the data.

        I feel like there is a single sentence or phrase that could be written above the or near the graphic which would make it clear but I honestly don’t know what it is.

        • Misconduct@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          7
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Why is some people’s inability to use critical thinking anyone else’s problem? Like, don’t make assumptions then. Or, take a beat to understand what’s in front of you. There’s nothing wrong with this graph.

          • FrankFrankson@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            1 year ago

            Yes my inability to use critical thinking is obvious because I think this inforgraphic isn’t clear enough to everyone. It’s not like there are a shit ton of comments where people are obviously confused by this infographic and all of them must lack the critical thinking skills that you must have in spades. You seem like a real swell person. Keep being you and if everyone around thinks your insults make you come off as an asshole ignore them… they probably just lack critical thinking skills.

        • Smatt@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          1 year ago

          “land use amount is to scale, location is not”

          Still seems kind of clunky, and given all the misunderstanding ITT it might do more harm than good.

    • ultimate_question@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      18
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      1 year ago

      I’m glad this community is following in the tradition of the reddit one, ugly graphics that communicate nothing useful yet somehow get upvoted to the top

    • Jazsta@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      14
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      1 year ago

      Yeah, this is a pretty appalling graphic that maybe seemed good in theory but is hostile to the reader in practice.

    • squiblet@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      Oooooh. I assumed it was supposed to have a geographic relation. Yes, this is extremely unclear.

    • Squirrel@thelemmy.club
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Ah, that makes sense. I mean, it doesn’t make sense, but it makes more sense than looking at this as an actual map.