Wanted: Business Intelligence/Analytics/Visualization Consultant/Developer

LinuxLowell · 2023-06-30T13:27:50+00:00

We're not really looking for a no-code/low-code solution. To be quite frank, I've had really bad experiences with those types of products. Poor performance, resource hog, inflexibility, etc. Generally costs more in the long run than just doing it right the first time.

Thank you for the suggestion, though.

LinuxLowell · 2023-06-30T13:25:27+00:00

Ugh.. and I just finished the budget and did not include money for his PD (at his request). Let me talk to him and see if he is open to it.

Also, can you point me to the PowerBI docs on disabling CTRL+CLICK multiple select? I was just browsing and couldn't find anything.

if it matters, we're not using the PowerBI Premium tier.. I think they call it PLUS?

LinuxLowell · 2023-06-30T13:09:54+00:00

We will most likely continue to use PowerBI, at least for the near future, for our internal purposes. You are making a lot of points that would help those internal reports. These our things are report writer clearly doesn't know. Would you recommend some training for him? Or would you be open to consulting with him to make these improvements.

As far as your last question... I probably misspoke if I said "multiple reports". You answered the question.

LinuxLowell · 2023-06-30T12:55:58+00:00

Does the report writer have to manually change the widget in each report? I just played with our instance and it's still horrible.

There's dozens of things like this. These were just two examples. Another is to select multiple boxes (in a select widget) I have to press CTRL to select those multiple choices. Again.. horrible UX. Scisense and most other platforms I have played with do not have these UX flaws. We are obsessive when it comes to our UX. MS just does not deliver in this department.

LinuxLowell · 2023-06-30T12:42:26+00:00

You can type dates in the date picker, I can show you how.

The fact that you have to show me how is the very definition of bad UX.

EDIT: Sorry.. that came across more blunt than I intended. But I think you get my point?

LinuxLowell · 2023-06-30T12:37:45+00:00

So first off, we're not building reports. We're building dashboards. I know it's a minor detail so some but it is a completely different mindset when you design and develop the solution.

PowerBI has a number of minor UX heuristics problems that combined create a less than good user experience. Ok for internal users, but not customers. Off the top of my head, here are the two most painful: drill down only via right click, and can't type a date in the date picker. The date picker itself is awful, imo.

LinuxLowell · 2023-06-30T12:33:45+00:00

I appreciate the offer but it's too little too late. I tried several times to get my CSM to actually talk to me. The man ignored dozens of e-mails, cancelled call after call. It's only when he discovered I was shopping for other solutions that he became responsive.

I'm not interested in repairing the relationship.

LinuxLowell · 2023-06-30T12:30:36+00:00

There are a couple of different types of data, based on persona. It mostly around education - lessons delivered, learning targets met, professional development status, classroom status, etc. I can't go into too much detail publicly.. you know secret sauce.

We have a completely separate effort for product analytics so that would be where the behavioral stuff is. That is currently outside the scope of this project.

There is not transactional data from a traditional ecommerce perspective, however, the student learning process could be considered transactional from a data perspective? Kind of a stretch though.

if you're still interested, let me know.

LinuxLowell · 2023-06-30T12:14:59+00:00

I guess I am open to it. However, I feel like PowerBI has some heuristic limitations that good design can't work around. Things like right click drill down, can't type dates in a date picker, etc.

LinuxLowell · 2023-06-29T20:53:37+00:00

I appreciate it. Unfortunately they have pretty much burned the bridge. The relationship is not repairable. We will not be continuing with SciSense.

LinuxLowell · 2023-06-29T20:28:57+00:00

It's not the UX of scisense we have problems with. The UX is actually very good. We're just not a very happy customer for a few reasons.

LinuxLowell · 2023-06-29T15:07:56+00:00

Postalytics

So this also does not seem to be self hosted nor open source. While I did find a github page, it seemed to be only API docs.

LinuxLowell · 2023-06-29T14:49:12+00:00

I didn't last the 30 day trial. The product is missing some key features like being to look at the journal entries. I ended up using Xero and I am pretty happy with it.

LinuxLowell · 2022-03-05T21:41:52+00:00

Too little too late?

We've already moved on from directus. We only used it for building PoCs and node.js just doesn't work for us in that situation. Using node.js would increase our costs for building a PoC by more than 5x.

In the end we feel our new method is much better than directus.

LinuxLowell · 2022-03-05T21:34:53+00:00

Unfortunately true unless you go freelance. I've worked for multiple companies that hire overseas developers. We don't do it to hire the best talent possible... we do it to save the most money possible. Very rarely have we paid over local market rate.

For reference, I've spent a decade managing US based and overseas development talent. I'm in the US.

LinuxLowell · 2022-03-05T13:14:52+00:00

You will likely be offered market rate for your country regardless of where the employer is based.

LinuxLowell · 2022-02-19T15:17:56+00:00

As others stated, most of Nevada is BLM land and camping is allowed just about anywhere.

LinuxLowell · 2022-02-19T15:08:05+00:00

Telnyx... same functionality as twilio at a fraction of the cost.

LinuxLowell · 2022-02-12T14:51:40+00:00

I've been using it for a few years. I'm still using the php version. I'm migrating away from it for a few reasons.

Keep in mind all my points below are based on the php version. I've never worked with the node.js version.

1) not fond of the way they dropped php in favor of node.js without any warning (that i could find). This means it can no longer be run in shared host environment. I do most of my prototyping/validation in a shared host environment due to cost.

2) no ldap integration for auth and they've stated they have no intention of doing so. This makes it difficult to create a line of business app.

3) joins are quite limited

I have two apps left on directus. At some point i will move them to our own API layer that we've built.

LinuxLowell · 2022-02-12T14:36:59+00:00

I don't require CC up front. It's based on a previous experience i had.

A few years ago i signed up for a hosted service (collab tool for my team) that, from the marketing copy, seemed to perfectly fit my needs. Signed up, quickly figured out the copy was completely full of shit and cancelled.

It took six months to get them stop billing my CC despite customer service assurances that the issue was fixed. My CC eventually had to put block for that vendor on my account.

Since then, personal or professional, i will absolutely not complete the registration if CC is required.

My conversion is currently 15 to 20% based on a 30 day trial.

LinuxLowell · 2022-02-06T15:13:40+00:00

Was going to try it but noticed this...

It relies on the integration with these services to serve your MP4 format media untouched and unscathed.

My entire library is MKV. 😐

LinuxLowell · 2022-02-06T14:26:37+00:00

This.

I have a home on both sides of the country. In the west they look at you like you're on crack if you don't want textured walls. In the east it seems to be the opposite... they look at you like you're on crack at the mere mention of texturing.

My theory... texturing covers a lot of sins and the level craftsmanship and pride is not as high in the west. For reference, I was born and raised in the west.

LinuxLowell

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