RE: st: create pretty charts

["Allan Reese (Cefas)" <allan.reese@cefas.co.uk>]

Tashi has a problem.  This supervisor apparently knows little about
graphs but wants something visually appealing and pretty.  That's fine
if the topic is graphic design for advertising, not (usually) the top
criterion for data presentation.  Some supervisors do not like to be
challenged, even when way out of their competence zone; there's a
vicious cycle when the student says "I can see I'm being forced to do
something bad here but I want to graduate and then I'll try to change
the system."  Of course, having graduated there's no incentive to
rubbish the system that lauded you.

I've railed against academic writing style ("It's a PhD - of course
you're not *meant* to understand it.") and instant graphs ("Buy our
package and *with a few clicks* you'll produce *professional* quality
graphs."), but generally in vain. Tashi can decide whether to print the
advice from this list and pass it on, with the invitation the supervisor
is welcome to send me a "pretty" graph with comments as to why it is
more fit for purpose than a plainer version.  Granted, pretty people are
more successful in this world.

Allan
  

Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2012 14:43:22 +0000
From: tashi lama <ltashi32@hotmail.com>
Subject: st: create pretty charts

Hello all, 
    I think Stata does heck of a job creating great graphs/charts. My
supervisor is not quite bought on that and wants pretty looking,
visually appealing 3D graphs/charts. Does anyone know any intermediary
software that takes my charts/graphs created by stata and produces
prettier looking charts, say for instance 3D charts? Any help or hint
would be highly appreciated.


*
*   For searches and help try:
*   http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
*   http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
*   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/