More visualization!

I just had to share this after previous posts on news visualization. The New York Tims just released The Visualization Lab.

Today, we’re taking the next step in reader involvement with the launch of The New York Times Visualization Lab, which allows readers to create compelling interactive charts, graphs, maps and other types of graphical presentations from data made available by Times editors. NYTimes.com readers can comment on the visualizations, share them with others in the form of widgets and images, and create topic hubs where people can collect visualizations and discuss specific subjects.

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I think that it is important to teach students to understand visual information from others but also be able to visualize(?) their own data at times. This is not a new literacy but an ever important one. It reminds me of the work of Edward Tufte and his writings and talks on the graphic press. Now in web 2.0 fashion the consumer can be the producer of information.