February 18, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Too Much Data
February 19, 2009 at 6:41 am
Hi Steve,
Great editorial and valid points. BI could help here, imo. But you're right: it's expensive and time-consuming (which is saying the same thing twice) - at least for now.
:{> Andy
PS - I love to see "Business Intelligence" in quotes!
Andy Leonard, Chief Data Engineer, Enterprise Data & Analytics
February 19, 2009 at 7:07 am
I think it actually goes one step further than that in some of these cases.
Gathering vast amounts of information is usually justified with "it's more efficient". It's more efficient to have a camera on every street-corner than a cop, and so on.
The problem with this is, the single most "efficient" means of government is totalitarianism. Call it socialism, call it monarchy or fascism, call it whatever you like, the only real way to get efficiency out of government is to make it centrally controlled and to grant it singular authority.
Inefficiency and ignorance in government is actually a necessity for freedom. There has to be a ballancing act to maintain the minimum necessary to carry out the minimum government needed to keep a free society running. Anything beyond that, in terms of efficiency and data, is just a move towards "more efficient government", meaning, of course, "more authoritarian government".
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
February 19, 2009 at 7:15 am
GSquared (2/19/2009)
I...Inefficiency and ignorance in government is actually a necessity for freedom. There has to be a ballancing act to maintain the minimum necessary to carry out the minimum government needed to keep a free society running. Anything beyond that, in terms of efficiency and data, is just a move towards "more efficient government", meaning, of course, "more authoritarian government".
Agreed. Privacy is essentially inefficiency in other people's knowledge about you. It's not just a nice thing, the need for privacy is deeply embedded in our psychology
To move onto more mundane areas, information is often confused with data, but information is what's left when excess data is intelligently pruned away (as when an image from carbon paper* only produces information when most of the pigments are not transferred onto the paper)
[*for you youngsters: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_paper%5D
...
-- FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers --
February 19, 2009 at 7:20 am
Data without context is useless. Software helps to put data into context but humans have to study the data to make sense from it.
Danger comes from acting on data without understanding the context. It's dangerous to freedom when a government does it.
February 19, 2009 at 7:22 am
I had two thoughts here, neither constructive.
1. Semantic Web
2. Eagle Eye
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How to post performance problems[/url]
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"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
February 19, 2009 at 7:55 am
To take the reverse opinion. Camera's that are not monitored serve not only as a deterent, but the video is there should an incident occur where the identification of a suspect is needed. You can hardly watch any cops and and robbers show on TV where some post incident review of video helps to catch the bad guys.
In the DBA world, how often do you review the log files? The common answer is almost never, unless an incident occurs that requires finding a cause for some problem. Hmmm...sounds like we are just as guilty collecting needless intelligence until it suddenly becomes needed. Maybe some BI software would be great to extract only needed database log entries in a meaningful way and discard the junk. But, using what basis and before or only after an incident?
"Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand." -- Martin Fowler
February 19, 2009 at 8:37 am
I do think there's value for the cameras being there, even if they're not watched, or even hooked up. There's a bit of a deterrent, and as you mentioned, you can review them later. they're like logs, which you don't review often, but you keep around.
However there can be valuable things in logs if you could proactively monitor them. Some type of BI might alert you to issues before they become problems. The same for lots of other data if you spend the time building something to review the data.
February 19, 2009 at 11:22 am
Steve Jones - Editor
...and I think businesses need to make sure they are not only making the investments, but continuing to fund them as they evolve.
This I agree with heartily. Projects are never perfect, and a "living" company needs a "living" project that can be flexed.
February 19, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Steve Jones - Editor (2/19/2009)
I do think there's value for the cameras being there, even if they're not watched, or even hooked up. There's a bit of a deterrent, and as you mentioned, you can review them later. they're like logs, which you don't review often, but you keep around.However there can be valuable things in logs if you could proactively monitor them. Some type of BI might alert you to issues before they become problems. The same for lots of other data if you spend the time building something to review the data.
The problem with the cameras not being hooked up is that the news on that will get around, and then they'll be ignored, and no more deterent value, even for the ones that are hooked up. Good old "boy who cried wolf" syndrome.
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
February 19, 2009 at 3:47 pm
skjoldtc (2/19/2009)
Data without context is useless. Software helps to put data into context but humans have to study the data to make sense from it.Danger comes from acting on data without understanding the context. It's dangerous to freedom when a government does it.
Awesome quote!
* Noel
February 19, 2009 at 7:52 pm
The title of this editorial, "Too Much Data", caught my eye since I just wrote those words yesterday on a BI industry survey:
Q: What are the business pains your customers are facing that make them look to data visualization?
My first answer (of 3) was: "Too much data to comprehend"
And I think thats true for corporate data as well as all those spying-eye cameras on freeways, buildings, etc.
Speaking of which, the best video I saw of Flight 1549 landing in the Hudson, people climbing out onto the wings, and then the rescue boats appearing (all within 4 minutes) came from a security camera. It was an awesome video and surprisingly moving to watch. For the first 30 seconds, the video camera appears to be unmanned, then suddenly it starts moving, zooming, and panning, clearly under human control.
I highly recommend it: http://www.businessinsider.com/2009/1/finally-a-picture-of-flight-1549-landing-on-hudson
February 19, 2009 at 11:41 pm
GSquared (2/19/2009)
Steve Jones - Editor (2/19/2009)
I do think there's value for the cameras being there, even if they're not watched, or even hooked up. There's a bit of a deterrent, and as you mentioned, you can review them later. they're like logs, which you don't review often, but you keep around.However there can be valuable things in logs if you could proactively monitor them. Some type of BI might alert you to issues before they become problems. The same for lots of other data if you spend the time building something to review the data.
The problem with the cameras not being hooked up is that the news on that will get around, and then they'll be ignored, and no more deterent value, even for the ones that are hooked up. Good old "boy who cried wolf" syndrome.
Who needs to know that are not watched. As I think you all know, here in South Africa crime was (and stil is but not so bad) were rife and people had to do something. So, they set up cameras in some problem areas in Johannesburg and nabbed some guys hijacking peoples cars and other crime related stuff. You see, the people know about those cameras in the city and whether they are manned or not the presence is there and crime in those parts came down and people don't take chances anymore. If you know there is a camera watching you somewhere you'll tend to behave a bit better and should you feel it is invading your privacy, I have news for you. That camera might just be working on your conscience because you have ulterior motives. Aye, leave the cameras manned or unmanned cause they are serving a purpose.
:-PManie Verster
Developer
Johannesburg
South Africa
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Holy Bible
I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times. - Everett Mckinley Dirkson (Well, I am trying. - Manie Verster)
February 20, 2009 at 6:12 am
Manie Verster (2/19/2009)
... If you know there is a camera watching you somewhere you'll tend to behave a bit better and should you feel it is invading your privacy, I have news for you. That camera might just be working on your conscience because you have ulterior motives. Aye, leave the cameras manned or unmanned cause they are serving a purpose.
While I don't really have a problem with cameras per se, I do have an opinion against any logic that says personal privacy can be invaded because those that want privacy have something to hide.
No matter what security is put into place, the world still runs on good old fashioned trust. Any measure that causes us to take away from that paradigm, whether through those who wish to do harm or just for the perception of security, costs everyone some measure of freedom and wealth. Yes, we do have to defend against those that would do harm, but must consider carefully all facets of the cost on every decision.
February 20, 2009 at 6:15 am
I would also add that any kind of data collection and analysis is only useful if it increases knowlege and wisdom.
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