Working Smart: What If One Is Unsmart?
March 10, 2012
Short honk: I read “Work Smart, Not Hard – An Introduction To Google Analytics Dashboards.” Three times this week I have heard “work smart.” Maybe this is a meme designed to make those who can use ATM perceive themselves as power users of advanced computing systems? Here’s the passage I noted:
[Google Analytics] saves me time, helps me look like I’m 100% on top of things when a client calls, and helps me add hours back into days that were previously spent hunting and pecking for information.
The idea is that a vendor creates a system which generates reports based on data. I do not trust data from sources which do no provide me with access to the who, what, when, and how those data were managed. When I buy carrots, I check out what’s on offer. The same approach does not apply to the use of data from Google or other sources.
But the key point in the write up is this phrase:
helps me look like I’m 100% on top of things when a client calls
I think appearances are important, but the notion of helping a person appear to know something when that person may not know whereof what he/she speaks is troubling to me.
As systems put training wheels on software, systems and services which “process” data and spit out answers, why are folks so eager to “look” smart. Why are those who are supposed to be data wizards so eager to give up the “hands in the dirt” approach which puts one in touch with the raw material?
I wonder if the clients know those who advise them are “working smart” by using systems that put up an appearance of insight when the reality may be quite different. ATM users may not quality as data analysts. If those individuals had the requisite skills to make sense of unverifiable data, would there be a shortage of analytics professionals?
Stephen E Arnold, March 10, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Comments
-
- Subscribe to Beyond Search
Feature archive
News archive
-
