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After reading the presentation listed in the blog topic, please comment with your thoughts on the impact this new technology may have on society. Share your thoughts on such things as benefits or challenges perceived, note how the power structure in society might change, discuss ways this technology might be abused, or discuss who will win and lose as a result of this technology.
This Big Data idea seems like it could have a significant impact in our society. I understand the two main examples you provide are regarding law enforcement. What other examples do you think this idea could be used for? I can see how a company or industry could use these types of programs in order to store and recall mass amounts of information.
ReplyDeleteI was recently listening to talk radio and they were discussing the future of 'Big Data" The host, Mike Levin, made some great points. He mentioned that "with this new technology, we will be able to basically tell the future by looking at the past." This idea is very true. Companies all over the world are beginning to use this idea. With the current stock market, people have begun to panic because some companies have done elaborate big data research and have found a pattern which was seen only weeks before the market crashed and the Great Depression occured. Much of this information could just be hokum, but the possibilities are endless when looking at data. But the tricky thing with data is that the same piece of data can be interpreted many ways. So we will need to be very aware of who is supplying the big data findings and what their agenda may be.
ReplyDeleteBig Data is no longer being considered a "trend" in today's society; it is the way of the future. The examples you provided also lead to questions about the potential future risks. For example, while certain technologies can aid the police in crime cases, how do you deal with the legal implications of privacy? How do you differentiate between data aggregation and dictatorship of data? How black and white are we seeing Big Data - how much does the "computerization" of information delineate on distinctly human characteristics? Big data no doubt is changing the landscape of our society, but people need to have more information about it to critically analyze how it will impact each and every one of them.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that you address the concept of Big Data with some positivity, and it was very interesting to learn about the tangible examples you provided. The benefits to law enforcement are tremendous, but then there exists the potential for abuse. When a benefit can be obtained from diminishing privacy, so can a detriment. And the issue of privacy itself is critical. I am grateful that we have adopted a term for the concept that is Orwellian. It reminds us that for all grandness and complexity, there is a privacy cost. (Undoubtedly, though, the potential benefits are staggering.)
ReplyDeleteFROM ROBIN LYNCH: Big Data is the way of the future. Although it is somewhat unsettling to know that there is a file with all my information in it somewhere and that it can be stored indefinitely, it can be used for so much good. I think that Big Data has the potential to change every aspect of our lives.
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