A problem with simplifying/reducing context around a number like this is that air quality can vary dramatically within relatively short radii and timespan.
It currently shows 16 for my address, but that's the realtime value: the average for today on PurpleAir is 53.
Also, the measurement point is on the opposite side of the city I live in, in which the AQI varies street-to-street by ~70+ at any given time.
It's true that local air quality can vary a lot, but there aren't enough sensors in the world to give everyone street-by-street data. I think it's still useful to have a fast source for real time "best available" data. I am thinking about ways to add context and allow people to judge the data quality without adding features like maps that would make the site much slower.
I agree, but I was just pointing out that I think PurpleAir is a better source for this because aqi.today is (unintentionally) misleading without the context offered by PurpleAir.
I know that the air pollution is very bad around my area as there was a comprehensive one-off detailed study done of every area of the city in 2017 which showed it to be, and the causes of it have not since changed. The lack of realtime sensors in my area though would mislead aqi.today users to think that everything's rosy here. At least with PurpleAir one get an immediate idea of a lack of data in one's area.
This isn't intended as an outright criticism: I guess aqi.today could be made more informative by adding either some quick context, or a disclaimer, into the UI.
It currently shows 16 for my address, but that's the realtime value: the average for today on PurpleAir is 53.
Also, the measurement point is on the opposite side of the city I live in, in which the AQI varies street-to-street by ~70+ at any given time.