Data (Idea) 3/10

Defined

da·ta (dt, dt, dät)

pl.n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb)

1. Factual information, especially information organized for analysis or used to reason or make decisions.

2. Computer Science Numerical or other information represented in a form suitable for processing by computer.

3. Values derived from scientific experiments.

4. Plural of datum.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Quotations

"We are thrilled to have digital photos, digital music, and correspondence through email, but we don't usually realize the value of these pieces of data until they are lost to us. In the physical world we take steps to protect this kind of information, putting it into photo albums or treasure boxes and treating those containers carefully. In the virtual space however, we often don't take steps to protect these most valued possessions."

Gage, Zach. "Data." Stfj 3.0. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. .

"A graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding."

Gibson, William. "Data Quotes - BrainyQuote." Famous Quotes at BrainyQuote. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. .

Annotated Bibliography

Dougherty, William C. "Can Digital Resources Truly Be Preserved?." Journal of Academic Librarianship 36.5 (2010): 445-448. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 10 Mar. 2011.

This article discusses digital data and issues surrounding preservation of this data. Preservation methods often are digitally-based, which I found really interesting when reading this article. If you make a copy of something digital, to preserve that which is not physical, what protects the copy? And how do you truly differentiate between the original and the copy? Did you clone something, and what happens to the cloned? I think the question of physicality and reality are really interesting and the article asks very probing questions within these issues.

Relates

This topic relates to my work because I am interested in the juxtaposition of organic and virtual data. Organic data, to me, is the inherent toolbox of humanity, which is collected and used for decision making. Issues such as sexual selection are present in this type of instinctual data-mining. Obviously, virtual data is computer/digitally based, and seemingly removed or even opposite from the discussion of organism instincts and sensibilities. However, I see them as equal on the basis of manipulation and fragility. Cloning, genetic mutation, viruses, etc. All of these topics I think about can relate to both sets of data. I understand, at this point, that data is the link in my work.