The Long View Perspective on Big Data and Metrics?

One of the things that I like to write about is perspective. In my opinion, it’s so important to continue to look at things from different angles and assume other viewpoints to understand the many ways that things can interact. A little over a week ago, I came across a series of tweets from Chris Hayes that presented a perspective that I hadn’t considered:

50 years hence, our current obsession w/ metrics and big data will look like the obsession w/ engineering in the industrial revolution.

— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 26, 2014

Obviously “engineering” was a great thing: a huge advance! We rely on it. BUT many thought *everything* could be engineered.

— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 26, 2014

We’re living w/ a similar hubris now about metrics, numbers and data. No reason to throw baby out w/ bath water. Metrics are important.

— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 26, 2014

But important to recognize their limits. End of sermon.

— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 26, 2014

Big Data is certainly something that has captivated the popular press and some might even say rightfully so. Of course, it’s important that we use metrics when making decisions, but is it possible that the pendulum has swung too far to metrics? It’s hard to say. Chris Hayes certainly seems to think so.

I like how he’s compared this to another phenomenon (can we call it a phenomenon?) from history where engineering took the world by storm. To be honest, given my age, and what I know about ‘recent’ history, I don’t know that engineering had as much hoopla as big data has today. Regardless, this perspective, this long view, is something that we all would be better off with. That is, looking at things from a longer perspective. Considering the adage that ‘history repeats itself.’ Maybe there’s something from our recent past that would help us better understand where we are today.

A good example of this might be international relations. If you’re looking for a ‘fictional’ example, may I recommend the movie “Now You See Me?”