In the corporate world, this is because the purpose of enterprise data is less to drive decisionmaking, and more to justify decisions that the executives were going to make anyway, which will usually just be whatever has the greatest benefit to their own careers.
In the public world, though, it seems to me like big data has had pretty huge results. The most commonly cited example probably being Nate Silver predicting the 2012 US presidential election results correctly for all 50 states using big data sources and techniques--this degree of predictive statistical analysis was previously unheard of in politics.
Is there some kind of gene which predisposes people to throwing around buzzwords? How is it that human behaviour gave rise to "big data" and "the cloud"?
The "gene" you speak of is a desperation to prove relevance when a person has a sneaking suspicion in their heart that they don't add value.
Ever notice how the people who throw around the most buzz words are those who think of, and refer to themselves as "big picture" thinkers? They have conveniently tricked themselves into thinking that focusing on and mastering any true skill is a distraction from understanding the broader landscape in which they operate.
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In the corporate world, this is because the purpose of enterprise data is less to drive decisionmaking, and more to justify decisions that the executives were going to make anyway, which will usually just be whatever has the greatest benefit to their own careers.
In the public world, though, it seems to me like big data has had pretty huge results. The most commonly cited example probably being Nate Silver predicting the 2012 US presidential election results correctly for all 50 states using big data sources and techniques--this degree of predictive statistical analysis was previously unheard of in politics.
The dilbert strip in the article was hilarious
http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2012-07-29/
Is there some kind of gene which predisposes people to throwing around buzzwords? How is it that human behaviour gave rise to "big data" and "the cloud"?
The "gene" you speak of is a desperation to prove relevance when a person has a sneaking suspicion in their heart that they don't add value.
Ever notice how the people who throw around the most buzz words are those who think of, and refer to themselves as "big picture" thinkers? They have conveniently tricked themselves into thinking that focusing on and mastering any true skill is a distraction from understanding the broader landscape in which they operate.