3 votes

How we built the GitHub globe

Tags: github, webgl, svg

4 comments

  1. thundergolfer
    Link
    Stripe built a pretty similar globe and also blogged about it around a month ago. https://stripe.com/blog/globe

    Stripe built a pretty similar globe and also blogged about it around a month ago. https://stripe.com/blog/globe

    1 vote
  2. [3]
    skybrian
    Link
    I guess it’s a trend but it seems like chartjunk to me, not a useful way of visualizing data. It wouldn’t matter if the data were all fake. How could you tell? Also they put a picture of an...

    I guess it’s a trend but it seems like chartjunk to me, not a useful way of visualizing data. It wouldn’t matter if the data were all fake. How could you tell? Also they put a picture of an astronaut in front that you have to avoid, which seems pretty silly.

    Google used to have an impressive globe in the lobby of building 43 that displayed search traffic at various data centers. It was pretty.

    1. [2]
      unknown user
      Link Parent
      I don't necessarily think it's primarily designed to visualise data, but rather just be a fun landing page that can bring a bit of joy (especially in a year that's been so lacking)—and perhaps...

      I don't necessarily think it's primarily designed to visualise data, but rather just be a fun landing page that can bring a bit of joy (especially in a year that's been so lacking)—and perhaps inspiration to others—about what you can build using web technologies. If it can double as a secondary visualisation of data, then all the better; but it doesn't feel like the dealbreaker.

      Software development can feel so flat and dull sometimes, so it's nice that GitHub is letting its employees be creative and work on art that can just be art.

      3 votes
      1. skybrian
        Link Parent
        It would be better if tapping the globe made it full page, and then you could look around to see what’s going on in more detail. That wouldn’t make it useful necessarily, but it would be more fun.

        It would be better if tapping the globe made it full page, and then you could look around to see what’s going on in more detail. That wouldn’t make it useful necessarily, but it would be more fun.