There are some buzzwords that have been “buzzing” and hurting my ears lately, and surprisingly to most these words are – data & knowledge. Phrases such as “Data is everywhere” and “Attaining knowledge is the essential skill to survive in the 21st century” are burning with desire of work and a lot of times of incredibly useless and wasteful efforts that has no meaning & no insights.
Both words – Data & Knowledge are largely overrated*.
Let’s walk through some of the details of the Data situation:
Data is overrated*
You must have heard the phrases “Data is everywhere. Data growth will reach 25(or any other “reasonable” PetaGazillionByttes in year [insert a random year that nobodty will remember ]”
And what about the Big Data. I am sorry, I should not be kicking the dead term between the bits, but I mean that every time I hear in the year 2019 somebody saying “I am fascinated by the big data” – I want to cry. For me, this is a sign of lack of understanding not only of the IT but the current market trends as well. From marketing point of view we are hyping AI right now ;)
Data by itself brings no meaning into the chaos. Having a lot of structured/unstructured data that brings you no basic extractable information, nor any knoweldge or insight – who cares about it?
Saying that you are storing a lot of data is the same as saying that you have a lot of *things*. Whcih things ? Why do you have them? What are they for? What are you trying to achieve by storing them ?
Big Data, Small Data, Medium Data, Average Data, All Data are just the tiny clay particles that you will need to work in order to build something useful. Wise people would even building something lasting.
Consider this:
Data < Information < Knowledge
Having data means nothing, if you want do something very meaningful with it. Converting data into information (hopefully RELATABLE (and not necessary relational), otherwise you just wasted your time since you can’t connect it with other events).
When you have some information (and not just “some kind of information”) make sure that this is a new information (and not something that was already available) and then work on extracting the Knowledge you are looking for.
Important Note: This is just the start of the journey and not is middle or its end.
I know, I know –Â some people must be thinking out loud here: “But what will the Data Scientists will play with?” My answers will always be – “They can play with whatever toys make them happy”. :) Just kidding. :) I am one of the probably few people who will argue that the kind of data science that is “playing” with data should be totally in R&D department and should be treated as such. “Based on the CONCRETE IDEA we shall research the viability of the information that is being produced from the following data sets”
By the way, did you notice the asterisk (*) near the title of blog post ?
It is because Data is ESSENTIAL in order to get information or knowledge. Without data you won’t get anywhere. As per quite famous phrase – “Without data you are just a person with an opinion”.
You need to start the jouney (data) but you have got to have the knowledge or the withdom in sight (the destination), otherwise all you get is a lot of luggage and nowhere to go.
Remember Alice In Wonderland:
“Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?
The Cheshire Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.
Alice: I don’t much care where.
The Cheshire Cat: Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go.
Alice: …So long as I get somewhere.
The Cheshire Cat: Oh, you’re sure to do that, if only you walk long enough.”
to be continued …