Ivan Sagalaev @isagalaev@social.seattle.wa.us

Washington Department of Health explains problems with their #covid19 page. https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/DelayDataPosting.pdf

Apparently there are way more difficulties apart from a bloated dataviz tool, although they specifically mention this problem: "We are also working to optimize the user experience for this data, including for those without a high-speed connection or those working from a mobile device."

So despite fancy graphs on DOH #covid19 page kinda-sorta slowly working, the main problem is that data stopped being updated. Today on March 31st it's still showing data from March 28th. Before the dataviz change DOH updated the stats at least once a day, and sometimes even more often.

https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus

To be fair, it did load after a while. Still, it would work way better if it were static data on the page, transformed into graphs with JS. But at this point I have to admit that I can perfectly well understand that it might have been the only way to deliver it quickly, rather than teach whatever system DOH runs on to consume generated data automatically.

Washington department of health used to have plain tables with numbers on their #covid19 page: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus. They *worked*. It's hard to make a static table not work.

They just replaced them with something dynamic subtitled "Microsoft Power BI". I say "something" because it doesn't work, and I don't even know what it is.

Probably someone at Microsoft scored some contract though… Well, good for them.

May be a silly question but where do you guys look up official data about the virus spread in WA?

#coronavirus #covid19

Every restaurant, every public place is obsessively wiping everything with antibacterial wipes now. This stupid panic is getting on my nerves. It's just way beyond any reasonable hygiene. Thankfully my school district is resisting the panic and refuses to close schools.

Asking for help here. Could anyone suggest a decent #tax #lawyer in Seattle area? My taxes are a bit unusual this year, so I don't trust myself to just use Turbotax. And my current (hopefully former) lawyer now wants me to pay $800, which I find… uhm… rather steep for the value I'm supposedly getting.

Any advice appreciated! Thanks!

I had a "dream" to visit the first Starbucks. Now I'm here and feel disappointed. It doesn't sell pastries and there's no place to sit. Which all makes sense, given it's size, but it looks like I took the words "it's just a Starbucks" a little too literally.

At this point I'm pretty sure there's gonna be no school tomorrow. Parenting it is then :-)

Successfully escaped snow-bound Woodinville and got home in Sammamish. The traffic is stuck on Novelty Hill Rd off W Snoquolmie Valley Rd. Had to turn around and make a detour. It's slippery slush all over Snoqualmie valley.