A browser for data?

A friend just alerted me to Kirix Strata, a Web browser that will let you work with raw data as you see it on your favorite Web pages. You can easily manipulate html tables or create mash-ups with RSS feeds. This is an intriguing idea. I wonder if, like Swivel (another new-fangled Internet contraption I haven’t had the time to really explore yet), this will help democratize data analysis.

(Of course, Depth Reporting had this tidbit more than a month ago, but I must have missed that post the first time around.)

These discoveries led me to a few questions:

• Have any of you had a chance to use either Kirix Strata or Swivel?
• What have you been able to do with these tools and would you recommend them for a harried journalist working with data?
• What pointers can you share to help a newbie get the most out of these applications?

I’d love to hear any feedback you have. Post a comment and let me know what you think.

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