If the last century was marked by the ability to observe the interactions of physical matter—think of technologies like x-ray and radar—this century, he says, is going to be defined by the ability to observe people through the data they share…”
Really not sure I am willing to extend the Faustian bargain that far (adds Gerd) May 04, 2013 at 11:21AM

“A problem well defined is a problem well solved,” Berlow said. He was referring to the idea that computers can calculate equations with a huge number of variables, but without humans to define the parameters, there’s no way for a computer to distinguish what is signal and what is noise….”

Gerd adds: this is a huge topic for the next decade April 17, 2013 at 12:26AM

Datasets of long timescales not only help us understand how the world is changing, but how we, as humans, are changing it — without this awareness, we fall victim to shifting baseline syndrome. This is the tendency to shift our “baseline,” or what is considered “normal” — blinding us to shifts that occur across generations (since the generation we are born into is taken to be the norm). February 09, 2013 at 07:48AM

But my worry stems more from how Big Data is increasingly telling us who we are and what we want. Google (GOOG) News tells us what news stories we want to read. Amazon tells us what books we want to buy. iTunes tells us what songs we like, whether we like it or not. Waze tells us the way we want to drive home. Facebook tells us who our friends are. Are we very far from the day when Big Data tells us who we will marry, what we’ll do when we grow up, where we will live and when we will die? January 27, 2013 at 04:40PM

A Wall Street Journal analysis estimates that the typical American doing everyday activities ends up having data being collected about him or her in 20 different ways (i.e. cell phone location, web searches and online purchases) — and more than half of the tools being used in this surveillance did not exist 15 years ago.

November 20, 2012 at 06:06PM

without considering the ethical and best practices of personal data collection, you are more likely to end up as the Exxon Valdez or with a BP-sized sized disaster on your hands. If you’re serious about using customer personal data effectively in your business, build your data policies on solid ground from the beginning and focus on three key concepts: permission, control, and transparency. November 19, 2012 at 08:19PM

From an IBM study of more than 1,700 Chief Marketing Officers, 71% say they are under-prepared to deal with the ‘data explosion’ they face in the marketing arena, even as 79% say that customer analytics influence their strategy decisions November 17, 2012 at 10:32AM

“Google is no longer organizing the world’s public information; that’s doing an increasingly fine job of organizing itself. Google is keeping the world’s secrets”

Good piece — made me think
Is this a Faustian bargain ?? November 14, 2012 at 06:49AM

And that nervous system of data is developing at tremendous rates thanks to growth factors like social media, gadgets that record how much electricity each appliance in your house eats up, consumer genomics, and personal trackers like Fitbit, Zeo or the Nike fuel bracelet (a favorite among Wired staff, according to executive editor Thomas Goetz). October 20, 2012 at 07:58AM

Respected Media Futurist, Gerd Leonhard, asks (and answers) the question: “If data is the new oil, how do we avoid wars and global conflicts fought over it?” His presentations and blogs give an excellent insight into how data transparency will benefit mankind and stop that from happening. August 24, 2012 at 11:17PM