Subjective Big Data: Marginalized Hype from a Mid Tier Outfit
September 4, 2015
I read “Why Gartner Dropped Big Data Off the Hype Curve.” The article purports to explain why Gartner Group, a mid tier consulting firm, eliminated Big Data from its hype cycle. Let me ask, “Perhaps Big Data reports do not sell to executives who have zero clue what Big Data means to a struggling business?” The write up is an analytics and data clean room. Facts are tough to discern.
The article included a chart without numbers to help knowledge hungry folks figure out what technology is an innovation trigger, a technology which is at the peak of inflated expectations, what technology have fallen (gasp!) into the trough of disillusionment, which are on the slope of enlightenment, and which have reached the plateau of productivity.
The write up fills the empty vessel of my mind with this insight from a mid tier wizard, Betsy Burton. She allegedly revealed:
There’s a couple of really important changes,” Burton says. “We’ve retired the big data hype cycle. I know some clients may be really surprised by that because the big data hype cycle was a really important one for many years. “But what’s happening is that big data has quickly moved over the Peak of Inflated Expectations,” she continues, “…and has become prevalent in our lives across many hype cycles. So big data has become a part of many hype cycles.”
I like that observation about Big Data becoming part of many hype cycles.
That’s reassuring. I don’t know what Big Data is, but it is now part of many hype cycles.
I like subjective statements about what is moving through a hype cycle. When one hype cycle is not enough, then put the fuzzy wuzzy statement into many hype cycles. Neat.
The article explains that other “notable subtractions” took place; for example, drop outs include:
- Prescriptive analytics, which I presume are numbers which are not used in this article’s graphics. Numbers are so annoying because one must explain where the numbers came from, figure out if the numbers are accurate, and then make decisions about how to extract valid outputs from numerical recipes. Who has time for that?
- Data science. I am not sure what this means, but it’s off the hype cycle hit parade.
- Complex event processing. Sounds great but it too is a victim of the delete button.
I view the listing as subjective. Subjectivity is useful, particularly when discussing which painting in the Wildenstein Collection is the best one or which of Mozart’s variations is the hot one.
Objective analyses, in my opinion, to make a case that virtual reality is on the slope of enlightenment or that affective computing is lifting off like a hyperbole fueled rocket.
Am I the only one who finds these subjective lists silly? My hunch is that the reason concepts get added to the list is to create some demand for a forthcoming study. The reason stuff disappears is because reports about the notion do not sell.
I wonder if there are data available from mid tier consulting firms to back up my hypothesis. Well, we can argue whether pale ivory is more attractive than honey milk.
Interior design professionals will go to the mattresses tinted white wisp to defend their subjective color choice. Do mid tier consultants share this passion?
Stephen E Arnold, September 4, 2015
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