I’m John and I want to be a Data Scientist.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve juggled interests in programming, machine learning, statistics, writing, information visualization, learning new topics, and analyzing data to uncover new insights. I’ve read and been excited by books like MoneyBall, The Numerati, Linked, and Tufte’s works. Although my career has afforded me occasional opportunities to explore these interests, I’ve struggled to find a way to consistently tie them together. Then came the Data Science movement.
Since 2011, I’ve been eagerly pursuing the field. I’ve read many books on machine learning and data analysis. I took Stanford’s Data Mining and Analysis class (STATS202) and audited Modern Applied Statistics (STATS315A). I enrolled in the Mining Massive Data Sets Graduate Certificate program and expect to complete it in 2013. I learned R and used it at work to analyze data. I got involved in my employer’s data science initiatives, and completed a variety of side-projects to improve and expand my skills.
I’ve had a lot of fun doing all of this stuff and want to do more of it. I decided to start this blog as a focal point and motivator for my on-going efforts.
Right now, this is basically a minimally viable blog. I was eager to set up a site and start posting. The rough edges should get smoothed out over time. Initially, the focus will be on content over form.
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