Only a few quick thoughts after inspiring days…

Big data has opened a lot of channels (and, no, not only to the NSA). The computation of vast amounts of information has incredible opportunities – quite literally the stuff movies are made of, right? And, of course, this means that there are both insanely awesome as well as insanely scary opportunities out there. Oh, and then there are insanely boring ones, too.

The difference between the first two and the last is in the ability to, well, compute it cleverly, i.e. use adaptive techniques. Because – as I never tire harping on about – it all doesn’t matter unless you can provide context. Context, however, is a fickle beast. Because it tends to shift; it is not a steady target. So the true magic lies in the ability to adapt, to vary your responses to an analysis depending how a specific data set develops and changes. And, no, that is unfortunately not mundane. Emerging data sets have the terrible instinct to multiply in options (think of the rice corns on a chess board example). So to tackle that process procures a very pure form of awesome. And that, my friends, is what we need to strive for!

If you have been following, it is not news to you that I am immensely intrigued by these dynamics. But for tonight, that is all.