Humans are blessed and cursed. The brain, with its myriad connections, allows for the faculty of analysis and the dissemination and reproduction of data.
The advent of Science provided the method, and technology provided the means for large chunks of information to be analyzed and shared with large quantities of people simultaneously. The quest for a nano-processor capable of outperforming an iPhone 6 is well under way.
It amazes me how much stock people put in technology, and how many technology stock there is in the market. With that said, there is a distinction between the efficient use of technology to accomplish a necessary goal, and the unnecessary arms race of processors that process ever more data.
Once processed, the metadata feeds earning reports that have become the fuel that has driven investors in the tech boom. The problem, however, is when people neglect instinct in favor of numbers. I am convinced that Apple is losing its edge in the tech market…the numbers (i.e. market valuation) say otherwise, though.
I could be wrong. Apple could continue its growth, but I believe Apples’ products have been lost in the data. This post is not about Apple stock’s crash (about which I am predicting despite typing this post on a Macbook Pro, which in fact is a testament to my respect of their products), but rather about the debilitating effect of mass data dissemination without biased human judgement. Too much analysis can be paralyzing, and most of the time it is best to trust gut instinct, regardless of its “political correctness” or “workplace appropriateness”.
Lao Tzu, a great Chinese philosopher, once said “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”
Data analysis supposedly advances knowledge, which it may, but does it improve human life?
Original post on LinkedIn url
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141005040350-232319042-the-problem-with-data?trk=prof-post
The Bird's Song 