Indexing a Good Start, not a Solution
July 28, 2011
We love it when 20 somethings discover the wheel, fire, or song. Almost as exciting is the breakthrough that allows today’s digital “experts” to see value in indexing. Yes.
InfoWorld asks, “Can Metadata Save Us from Cloud Data Overload?”
The simple answer: not by itself.
Writer David Linthicum acknowledges that the rapid and redundant proliferation of data demands action beyond moving it all to the Cloud. Many think that metadata is the solution. Properly tagging your data is necessary, but the big picture is more complicated than that. He states:
The management of data needs to be in the context of an overreaching data management strategy. That means actually considering the reengineering of existing systems, as well as understanding the common data elements among the systems. Doing so requires much more than just leveraging metadata; it calls for understanding the information within the portfolio of applications, cloud or not. It eventually leads to the real fix. The problem with this approach is that it’s a scary concept to consider.
Well, sort of. But indexing is not horse shoes. Indeed, and people and businesses often, though unwisely, spin their wheels looking for easy solutions rather than confront an overwhelming reality. The truth, though, is that indexing is not a silver bullet. There are issues related to editorial policy, use of a controlled term list, and quality control.
The sooner companies face this fact and get into the nuts and bolts of their data operations, the sooner they will reap the rewards of efficiency. In the meantime, we await the next big thing. We have heard it is drawing on cave walls. There’s an automated image indexing system ready to tag those graphic outputs too.
Stephen E Arnold, July 28, 2011
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, the resource for enterprise search information and current news about data fusion
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