homework #8(?) for april 4th

Review done by Oliver Allen

How Big Data is changing the Way We lead, by Dan Woods in Forbes Magazine,

April 4^th, 2012

Summary:

An Institute Director of Advanced Analytics at the North Carolina State University named Dr. Michael Rappa has been training students to be data scientist on computers. Students like his are being recruited straight out of college to share there experiences and participate in new age research. Although using data can be illegal, Rappa has been keeping a close eye on his students and the companies that higher the students to make sure they are being ethical and doing the right thing. Rappa has helped led a new age trend that has caused the emergence of new types of analysis. Rappa’s view is that analysis of big data is increasingly informing decision making at the highest levels in ways that vary dramatically from industry to industry”. One of the largest data holding warehouses is Google, as it has the ability to show a person using the computer anything they are looking for. I believe this idea of data being used objectively is a key to new age design. I like Rappa’s theories on how the use of data in a constructive manner can be key to a successful Internet world. Data can also be used in bad ways, as the Internet can be used to mine information that is illegal. The government uses “Data mining” to spy on terrorists and see what they are up to. Large companies use it to revolutionize the online markets and e commerce but on the other hand things can go totally wrong. If data mining can be used in the wrong hands, things can go bad like if a person steals identities from Facebook or a company sells the name and number of client to another company. All of this can go terribly wrong and create havoc, as Rappa is trying to go against this by teaching students ethical ways and rational ways to use these analytics. “Rappa said that data helps reallocate resources on the fly toward initiatives that need help and away from those that are not working out or that are going fine”. In the end there is an ever source of data that can be used to transform the Internet and markets beyond anyone’s imagination.