Tag: Data

Covid19, the limitations of machine learning, and the importance of data

The Covid-19 crisis is showing us the limitations of many things that we took for granted. Medicine’s ability to cure, for instance. For the time being, there is no cure for Covid19 – the best thing that the fantastic health professionals can do for us is support our bodies, while they fight the virus’s infection. Or, the … Continue reading Covid19, the limitations of machine learning, and the importance of data

New paper: Organisational tensions arising from mandatory data exchange between the private and public sector: The case of financial services

While many aspects of life have come to a standstill, due to Covid19, others continue to play out. Some of those things feel very much out of context, when they arrive in my inbox, for instance – just like the sea shell that I found while emptying the pockets of my son’s school uniform jacket. … Continue reading New paper: Organisational tensions arising from mandatory data exchange between the private and public sector: The case of financial services

What is GDPR, and what it means for marketers

GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation. It is a EU law, enforceable from May 25th2018, which aims to protect the privacy and personal data of EU residents. If you collect, process or use customers’ personal data (and the definition of personal data is quite broad – see below), then GDPR is likely to be … Continue reading What is GDPR, and what it means for marketers

Your Facebook data

I recently found out that you could check what data Facebook has on you. Well, the data that they let you know about, at least.   You can see what you shared online, which messages you exchanged with your friends and so on. You can also see which applications have access to your Facebook information, … Continue reading Your Facebook data

Something for your weekend: The Joy of Data

What? A one hour documentary, presented by mathematician Dr Hannah Fry, exploring ‘Data’ – what it is, why it is valuable, and issues around collecting, storing and using it. Where? I first saw it on BBC iPlayer, but you can also access it on Youtube.   So what? Like many other BBC science documentaries, this one offers … Continue reading Something for your weekend: The Joy of Data

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

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)