4 ms·

Ten Years in the Making, Nicholas Felton Files His Final Report

16 points by sebg 11y ago

dang 11y ago
Also https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10394592 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10394592.
th0ma5 11y ago
I hope the best for him. When I saw him speak about these reports and his family life growing up, I was struck with the obsessive tension of it all. I suspect getting away from doing this will be a healthy decision.
uptown 11y ago
The option to order a printed copy of his reports always struck me as odd - especially considering that I typically really appreciate visualizations and admire the techniques used to display complex sets of data. But I guess when the entire focus of these visualizations is based around a single person to whom I have no connection, the output of his work seems like an exercise in documenting irrelevance - taken to an extreme.
- wanderingstan 11y ago
  If you've never held one of his reports in your hand, I highly recommend to find a friend who has one. They are incredible in details beyond the contents of the pages: the cutouts, binding, paper, and ink all chosen with care. Felton's reports are works of art. Deeply personal works, like that of other artists. I don't think that makes it irrelevant. His medium of data, charts, questions, and timelines is different from other artists, but one uniquely suited to our age. I have two of his reports and am happy to keep them on my shelf, and to share them with others as a beautiful glimpse into another's world.
  - uptown 11y ago
    Thanks for the response. Admittedly, I've never seen one first-hand, so perhaps that'd change my mind.
- tcdent 11y ago
  Print's not dead! It is no longer viable for mass destruction, but it will continue as an art form when tangible, lasting results are desired. Physical objects have infinite subtlety and printed materials are no exception. Textures of edges, overlapping inks, analog resolution, and especially the composition of the paper are all sorely missed in digital media. J.J. Abrams said recently said (paraphrasing) that the design quality of tools he uses (a laptop, as opposed to a simple pen and notebook, for example) effectively holds him to a higher standard when writing [0]. I would suggest producing work on a printing press has a similar effect. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey8FzGECjFA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey8FzGECjFA

16 points by sebg 11y ago

dang 11y ago

Also https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10394592 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10394592.

I hope the best for him. When I saw him speak about these reports and his family life growing up, I was struck with the obsessive tension of it all. I suspect getting away from doing this will be a healthy decision.

uptown 11y ago

The option to order a printed copy of his reports always struck me as odd - especially considering that I typically really appreciate visualizations and admire the techniques used to display complex sets of data. But I guess when the entire focus of these visualizations is based around a single person to whom I have no connection, the output of his work seems like an exercise in documenting irrelevance - taken to an extreme.

wanderingstan 11y ago
If you've never held one of his reports in your hand, I highly recommend to find a friend who has one. They are incredible in details beyond the contents of the pages: the cutouts, binding, paper, and ink all chosen with care. Felton's reports are works of art. Deeply personal works, like that of other artists. I don't think that makes it irrelevant. His medium of data, charts, questions, and timelines is different from other artists, but one uniquely suited to our age. I have two of his reports and am happy to keep them on my shelf, and to share them with others as a beautiful glimpse into another's world.
- uptown 11y ago
  Thanks for the response. Admittedly, I've never seen one first-hand, so perhaps that'd change my mind.
tcdent 11y ago
Print's not dead! It is no longer viable for mass destruction, but it will continue as an art form when tangible, lasting results are desired. Physical objects have infinite subtlety and printed materials are no exception. Textures of edges, overlapping inks, analog resolution, and especially the composition of the paper are all sorely missed in digital media. J.J. Abrams said recently said (paraphrasing) that the design quality of tools he uses (a laptop, as opposed to a simple pen and notebook, for example) effectively holds him to a higher standard when writing [0]. I would suggest producing work on a printing press has a similar effect. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey8FzGECjFA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey8FzGECjFA