A Wanderer’s Guide to the Data Network Navigating Our Connected World Garrett Shields, GISP, CFM

The Data Network An ever-expanding collection of information Evolutionary & Revolutionary Interconnected and relatable No such thing as an “Unrelated Dataset”

Evolution of the Network Data availability has greatly evolved over the years Oral Tradition Written Word Books & Encyclopedias Analog Filing Systems Digital Media Cloud Computing

Evolution of the Network With each new generation, access to information becomes easier and faster Process of querying data has gone from a laborious task to simply asking a question “OK Google?” Increase in capacity of data able to be stored and accessed

Moore’s Law Theorized by Intel Co-Founder Gordon Moore in 1975 States that every two years, computing capacity will essentially double Data storage follows a similar trend Example: One 16GB flash drive = ~53,334 text books

Adding to the Network How we collect information influences our interactions with that data Data collected in the field Acquired from peers Crowdsourcing

Mobile Data Collection Any information gathered outside a static environment Can be collected using: Mobile Devices (GPS Units, Laptops) Applications (Smartphones, tablets) Analog Methods (Verbal interaction) Increases your interaction with the public Landowners, consumers, etc. More “hands on” form of information gathering

Crowdsourcing Relatively new phenomenon Powered by the internet Most common form of data we encounter daily Often fueled by social media News, reviews, traffic, etc…

Crowdsourcing Positive Popular because it is free and easy Response is simple, often quick Results in social and often ideological interactions Brings innovation Can help save lives Negative Results are hard to validate Everyone’s an expert Sometimes based on opinion Privacy can be compromised

Interacting with the Data Network We interact with the Data Network constantly Most commonly through our smartphones and tablets Search Engines, Maps, Navigation Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) Wi-fi hotspots, Web pages We create data, just by going on with our lives

No such thing as “Unrelated Data” How can a “#” become useful data? Geovisualization Algorithm

Data Tracking Information can be gathered by tracking data as well Analytics The “Wal-Mart” effect Usage Statistics Usernames Browsing History Using your history to gear ads and popups based on recent activity Spatial Movement Trends

Public vs. Private Blurry line between public knowledge and privacy infringement How do we respect anonymity? Example: Google Street View What constitutes public data? “Big Data” vs. “Big Brother”

What Goes Too Far? We have to balance information gathering with privacy concerns Who really owns the data? Certain datasets, especially those gathered without public knowledge can go too far in the eyes of some What is it being used for? “Matter of Public/National Security” Accountability Metadata

Wander Away The data network is vast and contains virtually every piece of information imaginable Learning to connect and interact with different datasets can greatly improve how we work and live Respect privacy; advocate for those who helped collect the data Ensure reliability

Questions? Garrett Shields, GISP, CFM