1) The issue of empathy in data vis is interesting. However, a data set is an abstraction by default. A data set consists of numbers vs a story consists of vivid details of an event. Empathy is data vis might be useful in journalism in some cases, but I am not sure it applies to other industries?
2) The argument about using blocks vs wee figures is not that convincing to me. Blocks further abstract the topic right?
3) I am interested in learning how the Ebola visualization is done technically.