Gapminder

Out of all of the many websites and databases the class had looked at over the Digital Histories module, my favourite by far and away was Gapminder. If you know me, then you know I love random facts, and I think that is what peaked my interest in the site. For instance, if I want to find out which country has the highest primary forest area (and for the record, these are the sad sort of things I look up), Gapminder tells me it's Brazil.

This may not sound like an amazing service; that sort of information is readily on hand with the likes of Google and Wikipedia. Where Gapminder differs is the way in which it presents it's user with information. Something recognised by GM's Hans Rosling who explains in one of his videos:

"I know having the data is not enough. I have to show it in ways people both enjoy, and understand."

I think Rosling is right. His presentation on the health/wealth of the world's countries over 200 years is a fantastic piece of footage. The viewer is able to watch how countries developed into what they are today, and how they were affected by wars, flu epidemics, economic depressions etc. Something that involved plotting 120,000 numbers for Rosling and his team.

If I were to have any criticisms of Gapminder, it would be that some of the statistics may now be a little outdated, as they haven't been updated in the last 3 or so years, and that there are not enough active contributions to the site, leading to an underdeveloped archive of statistics.