Calling Edward Tufte

The fires in California are generating big demand for geodata - people want to know what's burning, what's at risk, and where the fire is heading next. Ten years ago, that information would only have been available by radio or television. Those of you who consider government inherently wasteful might note that the same public agencies that are actually fighting the fires are also providing superb, detailed maps and satellite imagery of the areas affected, updated in near real-time. Of course, there is also a dark side - infographics so horrible that they make you want to root for the fire, just to see the server hosting them go up in flames. Cheers to Andy Baio, who found that particular abomination on the UCLA Daily Bruin website.