Re: [LINK] Big Data - bad or otherwise
Here is an education student data proposal. Apologies if this has already been linked. Building a Student Data Infrastructure: Privacy, Transparency and the Gates Foundation-Funded inBloom http://hackeducation.com/2013/02/10/inbloom-student-data-privacy-security-transparency/ On 16 January 2014 13:05, step...@melbpc.org.au wrote: Jim writes, Fine the car, not the driver? Perhaps, not as stupid as it sounds... - Jim Yes. In the Philippines, some major intersections have red-light cameras that record, and recognize, the number plates of red-light transgressors. Then when the annual registration fees are paid, these can include fines if the car has broken the law. Everyone knows this, and it seems to work. On 16 January 2014 09:43, Bernard Robertson-Dunn b...@iimetro.com.au wrote: On 16/01/2014 2:19 AM, step...@melbpc.org.au wrote: Because of the GPS units installed in Ford vehicles, Ford knows when its drivers are speeding, and where they are, while they’re doing it. Farley was trying to describe how much data Ford has on its customers, and illustrate the fact that the company uses very little of it in order to avoid raising privacy concerns: We know everyone who breaks the law, we know when you’re doing it. We have GPS in your car, so we know what you’re doing. By the way, we don’t supply that data to anyone, he told attendees. To be pedantic (and correct), Ford knows what the car is doing, they don't know who is driving. It's the same with phone tracking. If there are two people in the car - who is driving and who is on the phone? Even it both phones are being used that does not prove (it only suggests) both people are on the phone. -- Regards brd Bernard Robertson-Dunn Sydney Australia email: b...@iimetro.com.au web: www.drbrd.com web: www.problemsfirst.com Blog: www.problemsfirst.com/blog ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link Message sent using MelbPC WebMail Server ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
Re: [LINK] Big Data - bad or otherwise
On 17 January 2014 16:22, step...@melbpc.org.au wrote: Janet writes, http://hackeducation.com/2013/02/10/inbloom-student-data-privacy- security-transparency/ So, as this link notes, the reasonably widely respected do-good Gates Foundation is now also involved in the creation/promotion of opensource education-data software infrastructures. https://www.inbloom.org The only charity I know which collects (health) patents .. with minimised tax. I know I am a sceptic. =) But, from personal experience, any such software for education could well be very useful. So time will tell if this is simply a grab for the entire education/school big data records of a generation of young people, or one useful, private secure education record-keeping software infrastructure. Education of students and their personal data reduced to statistics for easy administration sounds to me like a profit at the wrong end of the telescope and a loss at the end of the student/family. Thus, I would suggest Aussie schools etc NOT jump on board quite just yet, as this link writer also 'suggests' regarding our children's edu-big-data. Haimson also cites concerns about privacy and security in the cloud, as schools move their data storage and servers from a local to a virtualized environment, pointing to inBloom’s privacy and security policies that state that the company “cannot guarantee the security of the information stored in inBloom or that the information will not be intercepted when it is being transmitted.” “I wonder if NY state and the other states involved realize that they may be vulnerable for multi-million dollar class action lawsuits if and when this highly sensitive data leaks out,” Haimson wrote in a recent blog post, “especially since Gates and inBloom appear to have disclaimed all responsibility for its safety.” .. It is interesting where the liabilities fall. ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
Re: [LINK] Big Data - bad or otherwise
Jan and Janet write, This issue of Cutter's newsletter has a couple articles on this subject: http://www.cutter.com/research.html If big data is generated/collected on behalf money because that's who can afford it then the way that data will be phrased, framed, focused will suit those interests True. Although business money will indeed be the main driver of big data initiatives and data-analysis-tool development, business is not the only driver of future big data collection and its investigation by any means. For example, big data analysis should be *incredibly* useful in terms of human health. With the human genome discoveries, it's big data that will enable the linking of specific genes with human health and longevity. If certain human genes are found likely to cause/influence a specific human health concern, then preventative gene therapies might then be developed. And it's big data collection analysis that will allow such connections. Or if people are suffering dying from specific illnesses in some areas but not others, or from some life circumstances but not others, then big data is most likely to be the research-tool which can pin this fact down. This is also true for big data and food, and drug, safety. If some folks are found to suffer negative reactions to certain food additives, or, to new drugs and medicines, then, although they live in different countries it will probably be big data analysis that discovers such medical issues. Big data analysis has already been essential for climate change sciences. And big data analysis is already very useful for city/town planning uses. The main issue imho appears to be, how granulated any big data regarding humans is allowed to remain. That is, big data with individual names, or phone numbers is very granulated. It allows an individual identification. And perhaps, as Bernard notes, incorrect conclusions regarding such folk, hence as Jan notes, unfair and incorrect, NSA no-fly list conditions. It will lead to unfair personal group discrimination in all sorts of ways. Big data is *not* inherently bad in and of itself. It all depends on how secure and private those big data records are stored and handled, and if that big data is de-personalized. And finally how much respect generally is shown for the individual human statistics/datum that is the big data. Cheers, Stephen Message sent using MelbPC WebMail Server ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
Re: [LINK] Big Data - bad or otherwise
On 15 January 2014 18:43, step...@melbpc.org.au wrote: The main issue imho appears to be, how granulated any big data regarding humans is allowed to remain. That is, big data with individual names, or phone numbers is very granulated. It allows an individual identification. And perhaps, as Bernard notes, incorrect conclusions regarding such folk, hence as Jan notes, unfair and incorrect, NSA no-fly list conditions. It will lead to unfair personal group discrimination in all sorts of ways. Big data is *not* inherently bad in and of itself. It all depends on how secure and private those big data records are stored and handled, and if that big data is de-personalized. And finally how much respect generally is shown for the individual human statistics/datum that is the big data. It is an investment looking for a return. It is a magical word covering all kinds of data collection. Climate data and personal health data are not the same thing but now there is a term which paints them the same colour. It just looks like we are selecting for dependence on mass investment in data harvesting. ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
Re: [LINK] Big Data - bad or otherwise
Janet writes, (Big data) is an investment looking for a return. It is a magical word covering all kinds of data collection. Climate data and personal health data are not the same thing but now there is a term which paints them the same colour. It just looks like we are selecting for dependence on mass investment in data harvesting. Often big data started out as an almost nuisance by-product of modern consumer tech systems, Maybe it was saved by the service provider and often not. For example, for many years your Internet Service Provider has had Squid Logs that record every customer web destination. In the past often logs were not saved. But seemingly all of a sudden, it was realized that such tech-customer data, with appropriate analysis, had predictive value and hence monetary value regarding customer client behavior. Now businesses are wondering how to cash-in on big data and governments are wondering what public legal protections are justified. For eg, the car company Ford appears puzzled regarding their big data: http://www.businessinsider.com.au/ford-exec-gps-2014-1 Jan 9th 2014 Fords Global VP/Marketing Sales, Jim Farley, said.. something about data privacy today at CES, the big electronics trade show in Las Vegas. Because of the GPS units installed in Ford vehicles, Ford knows when its drivers are speeding, and where they are, while theyre doing it. Farley was trying to describe how much data Ford has on its customers, and illustrate the fact that the company uses very little of it in order to avoid raising privacy concerns: We know everyone who breaks the law, we know when youre doing it. We have GPS in your car, so we know what youre doing. By the way, we dont supply that data to anyone, he told attendees. Rather, he said, he imagined a day when the data might be used anonymously and in aggregate to help others with traffic related problems. Suppose a stadium is holding an event; knowing how much traffic is making its way toward the arena might help the venue change its parking lot resources accordingly, he said. (End quote) So, many people are still confused re such system by-products as big data. We are now at the stage where we'll need to examine data issues with care. Cheers, Stephen Message sent using MelbPC WebMail Server ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
Re: [LINK] Big Data - bad or otherwise
On 16/01/2014 2:19 AM, step...@melbpc.org.au wrote: Because of the GPS units installed in Ford vehicles, Ford knows when its drivers are speeding, and where they are, while they’re doing it. Farley was trying to describe how much data Ford has on its customers, and illustrate the fact that the company uses very little of it in order to avoid raising privacy concerns: We know everyone who breaks the law, we know when you’re doing it. We have GPS in your car, so we know what you’re doing. By the way, we don’t supply that data to anyone, he told attendees. To be pedantic (and correct), Ford knows what the car is doing, they don't know who is driving. It's the same with phone tracking. If there are two people in the car - who is driving and who is on the phone? Even it both phones are being used that does not prove (it only suggests) both people are on the phone. -- Regards brd Bernard Robertson-Dunn Sydney Australia email: b...@iimetro.com.au web: www.drbrd.com web: www.problemsfirst.com Blog: www.problemsfirst.com/blog ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
Re: [LINK] Big Data - bad or otherwise
On 16 January 2014 09:43, Bernard Robertson-Dunn b...@iimetro.com.au wrote: To be pedantic (and correct), Ford knows what the car is doing, they don't know who is driving. It's the same with phone tracking. If there are two people in the car - who is driving and who is on the phone? Even it both phones are being used that does not prove (it only suggests) both people are on the phone. -- Yes, but I can envisage a mechanism for identifying an individual based on driving habits (like handwriting analysis, or gait recognition or keystroke dynamics) that could link a driver across trips. Matching that up to an individual human then becomes much easier. Especially as most vehicles have a small set of regular drivers. I suspect I could identify whether it was my mum or dad driving with better than 95% accuracy if I had access to their acceleration and breaking data, for example. Regards, Michael Skeggs ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
Re: [LINK] Big Data - bad or otherwise
On 16/01/2014 10:15 AM, Michael wrote: On 16 January 2014 09:43, Bernard Robertson-Dunn b...@iimetro.com.au mailto:b...@iimetro.com.au wrote: To be pedantic (and correct), Ford knows what the car is doing, they don't know who is driving. It's the same with phone tracking. If there are two people in the car - who is driving and who is on the phone? Even it both phones are being used that does not prove (it only suggests) both people are on the phone. -- Yes, but I can envisage a mechanism for identifying an individual based on driving habits (like handwriting analysis, or gait recognition or keystroke dynamics) that could link a driver across trips. Matching that up to an individual human then becomes much easier. Especially as most vehicles have a small set of regular drivers. I suspect I could identify whether it was my mum or dad driving with better than 95% accuracy if I had access to their acceleration and breaking data, for example. Agreed, but you are talking about a) the future and b) more than just data. It would need someone to build model(s) of an individual's behaviour. This is more than just data collection and gets back to where I started a few days ago - model building is an integral part of analysis. -- Regards brd Bernard Robertson-Dunn Sydney Australia email: b...@iimetro.com.au web: www.drbrd.com web: www.problemsfirst.com Blog: www.problemsfirst.com/blog ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
Re: [LINK] Big Data - bad or otherwise
Jim writes, Fine the car, not the driver? Perhaps, not as stupid as it sounds... - Jim Yes. In the Philippines, some major intersections have red-light cameras that record, and recognize, the number plates of red-light transgressors. Then when the annual registration fees are paid, these can include fines if the car has broken the law. Everyone knows this, and it seems to work. On 16 January 2014 09:43, Bernard Robertson-Dunn b...@iimetro.com.au wrote: On 16/01/2014 2:19 AM, step...@melbpc.org.au wrote: Because of the GPS units installed in Ford vehicles, Ford knows when its drivers are speeding, and where they are, while theyre doing it. Farley was trying to describe how much data Ford has on its customers, and illustrate the fact that the company uses very little of it in order to avoid raising privacy concerns: We know everyone who breaks the law, we know when youre doing it. We have GPS in your car, so we know what youre doing. By the way, we dont supply that data to anyone, he told attendees. To be pedantic (and correct), Ford knows what the car is doing, they don't know who is driving. It's the same with phone tracking. If there are two people in the car - who is driving and who is on the phone? Even it both phones are being used that does not prove (it only suggests) both people are on the phone. -- Regards brd Bernard Robertson-Dunn Sydney Australia email: b...@iimetro.com.au web: www.drbrd.com web: www.problemsfirst.com Blog: www.problemsfirst.com/blog ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link Message sent using MelbPC WebMail Server ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
Re: [LINK] Big Data - bad or otherwise
On 15/01/2014 12:27 PM, Janet Hawtin wrote: On 15 January 2014 07:37, Jan Whitaker jw...@janwhitaker.com wrote: This issue of Cutter's newsletter has a couple articles on this subject: http://www.cutter.com/research.html If big data is generated/collected on behalf money because that's who can afford it then the way that data will be phrased, framed, focused will suit those interests If newspapers hire big data journalists to mine big data for stories to me that seems like a risk they could be 'embedded' in those interests. Would they then be able to ask people face to face to confirm themes in data? How can you be objective about non objective data or data which critiques/defines citizens but can not see back up the telescope to entities which have capacity to define the information playing field. So some entities are opaque. How does that contrast shape things? Big data is mined for two reasons 1. To find out what happened. This covers Janet's point but government's and others may also be interested in history/the past. This is relatively benign. However, bad conclusions can be drawn (see True Fact: The Lack of Pirates Is Causing Global Warming, http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2012/03/23/true-fact-the-lack-of-pirates-is-causing-global-warming/ ) As long as this information is not acted on, no harm is done. Which leads to the second reason: 2. To predict outcomes and make decisions. This is where my previous observations on models really comes into play. As with the pirate data it is easy to see correlations and coincidences, it is much harder to identify cause and effect. This requires an explanation, usually (always?) based upon verifiable models. IMHO, apart from the privacy issues, this is one of the greatest dangers of analysing Big Data - people will see things in the data that just aren't there. -- Regards brd Bernard Robertson-Dunn Sydney Australia email: b...@iimetro.com.au web: www.drbrd.com web: www.problemsfirst.com Blog: www.problemsfirst.com/blog ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
Re: [LINK] Big Data - bad or otherwise
On 15/01/2014 2:13 PM, Jan Whitaker wrote: [waves at NSA because I used their TLA in this] If the NSA did follow up all uses of NSA, they'd have to trawl through those many emails and SMS from people using NSA to mean No Strings Attached. Or: Notary Signing Agent National Scrabble Association National Student Association National Steeplechase Association National Sound Archive Nikkei Stock Average National Shipping Authority National School of Administration (China) etc. There are 127 listed at http://www.acronymfinder.com/NSA.html And then there's all those seNSAtional words which would give rise to many traNSActions. The trouble with data is that you often don't know what they mean, what they used to mean, what they might mean and what they were intended to mean. -- Regards brd Bernard Robertson-Dunn Sydney Australia email: b...@iimetro.com.au web: www.drbrd.com web: www.problemsfirst.com Blog: www.problemsfirst.com/blog ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
Re: [LINK] Big Data - bad or otherwise
Reminds me of the old science joke: Q. What does DNA stand for? A. The National Dyslexia Association. Just my (somewhat warped) 2 cents worth --- On 15 Jan 2014, at 3:08 pm, Bernard Robertson-Dunn b...@iimetro.com.au wrote: On 15/01/2014 2:13 PM, Jan Whitaker wrote: [waves at NSA because I used their TLA in this] If the NSA did follow up all uses of NSA, they'd have to trawl through those many emails and SMS from people using NSA to mean No Strings Attached. Or: Notary Signing Agent National Scrabble Association National Student Association National Steeplechase Association National Sound Archive Nikkei Stock Average National Shipping Authority National School of Administration (China) etc. There are 127 listed at http://www.acronymfinder.com/NSA.html And then there's all those seNSAtional words which would give rise to many traNSActions. The trouble with data is that you often don't know what they mean, what they used to mean, what they might mean and what they were intended to mean. -- Regards brd Bernard Robertson-Dunn Sydney Australia email: b...@iimetro.com.au web: www.drbrd.com web: www.problemsfirst.com Blog: www.problemsfirst.com/blog ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link ___ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
