big data and controlled experiments
Big data and controlled experiments are tools for thinking, not substitutes for thinking. … Read the post big data and controlled experiments
data
disinvesting in public data is bad economics
Public data is key infrastructure for informed democracy and a vibrant economy in the twenty-first century. … Read the post disinvesting in public data is bad economics
ugly data
Keep big data out of flower beds! … Read the post ugly data
smart disclosure progressing
Smart disclosure can bring to data the people-centric orientation that smart growth has to urban planning. … Read the post smart disclosure progressing
non-profits' distribution of management expenses
At the recent DC Data Dive, GuideStar put out for analysis some IRS financial data for non-profit organizations. The non-profits are identified only by an ID number, topic of work, and geographic scope. The question for the data dive was: “What financial data may be predictive of an organization’s defunct status in two years?” … Continue reading non-profits' distribution of management expenses
building a data search engine
A good search engine for data would make the web more enlightening. Lack of a good business model may be keeping users in data darkness. … Read the post building a data search engine
beware of statistical designs
Misleading statistics on the declining farm share have supported agricultural subsidies. Beware of tendentious use of statistics. … Read the post beware of statistical designs
why SEC filings don't contain semantic, queryable data
SEC filings don’t contain semantic, queryable data because companies aren’t interested in making their financial data readily available as such data. … Read the post why SEC filings don't contain semantic, queryable data
making data more factually important
Data accessibility requires both data production and data access. Discursive norms help to provide good incentives. … Read the post making data more factually important
badly structured tables have a bright future
Which is a better, one big table, or two or more smaller tables? The organization of the data sources, the number of smaller tables, the extent of the relationships between the smaller tables, and economies in table processing all affect the balance of advantage. But cheaper storage, cheaper computing power, and fancier data tools probably … Continue reading badly structured tables have a bright future