April is high up on my list of months that just flew by. Seriously, where did the last 30 days go? April was also a month of contrasts: highs and lows, fast and slow, noise and silence… It was a month that gave me a lot to think about, as I was preparing my monthly … Continue reading April 2015 round-up
Author: anacanhoto
An historical example of how (even well intentioned) data collection can lead to negative consequences
I was having a chat with the lovely Monika (aka Mum On The Brink) about the risks of blanket data collection. I said that, in many cases, the purpose of collecting data is harmless or even well intentioned (for instance, save time, show information that is relevant…), but that those same datasets could then be … Continue reading An historical example of how (even well intentioned) data collection can lead to negative consequences
The value of social media data is not in data itself, but the interpreter and the use
Tim Kourdi’s comment about the value of information, in my latest blog post, reminded me of an interview with Twitter co-founder, Jack Dorsey. Jack challenged criticism that the physical constraints of the platform (specifically, the 140 characters limit for a message) would lead to shallow, value-less content being shared. He did acknowledge that the limit … Continue reading The value of social media data is not in data itself, but the interpreter and the use
Useful illustration of the difference between data and information (and knowledge)
Data and Information. These terms are often used interchangeably, though they actually mean very different things. I recently came across this example*, provided by Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Professor of Artificial Intelligence at Southampton University. He says: When I give you a number, like 37, you don’t know whether that is somebody’s age or a particular … Continue reading Useful illustration of the difference between data and information (and knowledge)
Customers that suffered to get your product value it more than those that didn’t
I am (finally) reading the book Mistakes were made (but not by me) by Carol Travis and Elliot Aronson (affiliate link), which explores why people find it hard to accept responsibility for mistakes. There is an interesting section in the book, where authors report on findings from psychological experiments that show that: ‘(I)f people go … Continue reading Customers that suffered to get your product value it more than those that didn’t
Book review: Social Media Marketing
This is my review of the book 'Social Media Marketing - Theories and Applications', written by Stephan Dahl (affiliate link). This is one of those rare occasions where the title undersells the content of the book! It is a great resource for anyone studying and/or working in the digital field. Two thumbs up from me.
Ladies and gentlemen: meet the user
Recently, I attended a workshop at the HCCM where Russell Davis, Director of Strategy at Government Digital Service, talked us through the process of transforming the government’s online presence. He said that, very early on in the process, he affixed this picture on the wall, to remind everyone of who the websites’ users were: It … Continue reading Ladies and gentlemen: meet the user
March 2015 round-up
Spring is here (at least officially), I had one journal and three conference papers accepted, and our lovely friends SP have visited us. So, all in all, the month is ending on a high note. And if it is true that 50% of my sabbatical is now gone :-(, it is also the case that … Continue reading March 2015 round-up
UK attitude towards monitoring of internet and mobile communications is surprisingly tolerant
I wonder if you can help me make sense of this. I came across a survey by YouGov for Amnesty International, published earlier this month, about the attitudes of people from 13 countries* towards government surveillance. According to this data, UK residents are more likely than the (study’s) average to support mass surveillance by government … Continue reading UK attitude towards monitoring of internet and mobile communications is surprisingly tolerant
Day in the Life of an academic: the sabbatical edit
People keep asking me what I do on my sabbatical, so I thought that it would be fun to do a ‘Day in the Life’ post. This is what I got up to on Wednesday. I wake up about half an hour before my alarm went off, with the sun streaming through the bedroom window. … Continue reading Day in the Life of an academic: the sabbatical edit
Ana Canhoto 