The 5 aspects of data nature

If every breath we take does affect the moves we make, in a world that breathes technology, it is quite expected to see most everyday acts to be more and more shaped, or even governed by data.

Data are frequently offered for free and this becomes a widespread norm; or effortlessly “acquired”. Still, many times the data box we receive  is empty of relevance, it does not deliver any advantage; apart from attention overspending, data flows could even be trapping the mind towards wrong conclusions.

Contemporary data depictions are not only easier to read than ever before, they are also visually catchy, entertaining the contemporary easily bored human mind.

We need to be cautious when invited and served in nice, well decorated dishes; to be even more mindful of what the worth of actual food is.

Every time data are served, a conscious look should precede at some aspects, which function as a nutritional value label. The following scheme could help to mirror the value we could extract:

  • Purpose: Is the source of data reliable? Is their collection purpose clear? Are data producers fairly paid or is the reader expected to pay in a less evident way?
  • Timing: Does the data collection time reflect value and applicability at the time of data consumption or is it a leftover meal from the freeze?
  • Population: Do data come from the right population? Do conclusion and input information refer to the same population? Is that the population where any of your decisions actions are about to take place?
  • Reasoning: Have those data been collected in a way that can represent the statement drawn? Are the method, the timing, the population feedback, the process, the thinking compatible with common sense?
  • Data Consumption Goal: Is your data consumption to fuel your growth strategy or are data just to work as an incidental side approach that you use to cross-check an already taken decision?

In the information age, data meals matter; pleasing the taste is always motivating, but feeding the right decisions determines whether those decisions can lead us to progress, to illusion or even to destruction.