Tech Talk with Toni

You can clearly see which one stands out   Today's post is inspired by a question one of my colleagues had around outliers: Are there different types? And to that question, the simple answer is yes! As data professionals, we often encounter data points that stand out like a sore thumb during analysis, leaving us wondering what to do with them. In most cases, deletion seems like the obvious choice.  However, I believe we need to pause and take a closer look at these points before removing them. You see, during Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA for short), asking the right questions about the dataset is crucial to uncovering its full story.  Deleting an outlier just because it stands out can create a narrow, myopic view of the data, limiting the depth and value of the insights you can gain. Rather than rushing to remove outliers, consider what they might reveal. Could they signal an emerging trend, an unusual but important event, or even a data collection issue?  With t...

 The longest word in many English dictionaries is "Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis," a lung disease caused by inhaling very fine ash and sand dust.   Today's post is inspired by the influx of Excel formula-related questions people have asked me (even though I'm not that good at it). Steve Jobs said, "If you define the problem correctly, you almost have the solution."  I've solved many problems by doing this well enough. When you are unable to put your problem into words, you have a harder time finding the solution since you will be Googling or prompting ChatGPT with the wrong things. Imagine a dictionary with a bunch of nonsensical definitions – pretty useless, right? That's what our problem-solving process becomes without a solid starting point. Speaking of foundations, did you know I used to obsess over the origin of words (aka etymology) in science class? Turns out, every word has a story, and it can be surprisingly illuminating. Ta...