Dashboards are all the rage, so it is natural that your XPages application need a dash of a dashboard. A view makes an excellent source for dashboard data and the ability to categorize views handles the heavy lifting of aggregating the values you want to use e.g. in a bar or pie chart. I've been fallen in love with d3js since she is the ultimate visualization (if in doubt, read the classics ).
D3Js is a harsh mistress of exceptional beauty, so you might want to check out some of her offsprings like RickShaw, NVD3 or xCharts. Indulge in myriads of tutorials and reviews (check part 2 too) and the over 1000 examples.
With just a few lines of JavaScript any categorized view can be used as source for d3js. The script can read a categorized view with one to three categories. If you have one it reads the view, for two you get hierarchical data or provide a key, so you only retrieve the selected category etc.

Every organisation has its little secrets. The running joke about IBM is, that the secret are the products.
An Example:
When you use IBM SmartCloud for Social Business Engage (SCSB) you get a contacts feature. It will list all your network contacts, but also is able to list arbitrary contacts, serving as your address book. Latest since the arrival of mobile devices however the saying goes: " only a synced contact is a good contact".
Well hidden in the SCSB help are the instructions how to sync with the Notes addressbook. Expecting users to edit ini files and use an Eclipse update site is (I nearly said silly) not in line with todays install expectations. It can be simpler: Drag this link into your " My Widgets" sidebar and the rest is automatic. Enjoy!
As usual YMMV.
Update: SCSB support reprimanded reminded me, that the plug-in is sunset and I shouldn't promote it, since it will go away.

Depending how you look at it, IBM Connections is something different:

1. A leading Social Business application, ready to use
2. A set of services and APIs to integrate into your applications
3. A platform to build social enabled applications

( Like Steve Jobs: a touch enabled iPod, an enhanced phone and an Internet access device - 3 items in one device). There are a growing number of applications and add-ons available that take advantage of item two and three. Markus Thömmes compiled a nice list in an (for now) internal presentation. I'm listing the mentioned products in short (in no specific order) here:

• Trilog Group - ProjExec®: Project Management (Trilog is the organisation where XPages has its roots as JEE technology called Flowbuilder)
• SugarCRM: Customer Relationship Management. IBM switched from Siebel to SugarCRM recently
• Immersive for Atlassian: Integrate Confluence and Jira into Connections
• Hype: Campaign based ideation
• dynamicSignal: Coupons, promotions and job postings
• OnTime® Social: Powerful team scheduling powered by Mikkel Flindt Heisterberg
• MindJet: MindMaps feed and are fed by Connections data
• VSee: Video conferencing and screen share
• HarQen Hypervoice™: Voice conversation integration
• The Hive: motivation and awards
• Kudos Badges: Gamification and motivation
• KangoGift: Social recognition
• Bunchball Nitro: accellerated onboarding, leaderboards
• Lialis WebDAV: access files through standard file managers
• filedog Q: local sync for files
• Box: Intregration into box.com
• Genus Media Upshot: Rich Media Content Management
• Cobra Image Router: seamless integration of paper content. Cobra is around for a long time and probably are one of the most experienced providers of transfer from paper to electronic workflows
• The Poll: Polls and results
• Questionmine™: video surveys, quizzes, and automated webinars
• JustNudge Widgets: Widget collection to improve user experience and enable extra tasks
• EBF.CUSTOMIZER: Customize Connections UI
• SnappLinks™: Enhancement for the CK Editor for link management
• Ephox EditLive!: Advanced Editor for Connections
• LinguaSys – TGSocial: Translation plugin with support for over 110 languages
• Actiance Vantage: Compliance for SEC, FINRA, IIROC, PRA and FCA
• Connections Administration Toolkit: If you are not a fan of Jython and the command line, that's the UI you want to have

The list is growing, keep updated on Greenhouse