http://www.tableausoftware.com/public/gallery/making-pay-gap-look-good
Now everybody's impressed. But actually Tableau does not help you that much. It is a nice tool, but the quintessential thing about making graphs and tables is to give a message. These Tableau tables just provide a way to explore, yet that is what researchers are paid for. Using the interactive Tableau charts, you basically provide a fun tool to viewers. I agree there is a lot of demand for useless stuff too.
I liked the Pay Gap visualization anyway, but let's look at far worse graphs:
http://www.tableausoftware.com/public/gallery/best-dutch-restaurants --> Is this a restaurant guide or a statistical tool? Main conclusion is that fancy restaurants are more likely to be found near the coast and the capital. Oh no...
Or this graph, which has wonderful colours, except you don't know what they stand for. Also, they do linear regression on sight, suggesting a discrete point where effects pop in. Could be an exponential effect though. http://www.tableausoftware.com/public/gallery/game-reviews
Yet, let us finish on a good note. While being easy to make with any statistical program, this graph and the interactive menus confront us with some astonishing insight. Very appropriate point of view.
http://www.tableausoftware.com/public/gallery/great-divide
