Exploring the Style of Big Data
Although the utilization of big data has really only been around for a few decades, it’s hard to see it going out of style anytime soon. However, there is one specific aspect that may be sent into exile: The V’s of big data. They are described as the main characteristics of the field, however, some experts should’ve said no to some of the suggestions utilizing the letter “V”: virtually any word can and most likely will be used to describe the ever-expansive scope of big data, which can be considered redundant and overused. We are constantly bombarded with new information about the evolution of these V’s, which Figure 1 symbolizes. A new perspective on approaching the V’s of big data may be nothing new, but the validity of the V’s is slowly starting to fade into the afterglow. With the current logic regarding the V’s, any letter could have its own words that perfectly characterize the expansive scope of big data: thus introducing the letter “S”.
Spread. The spread of big data’s influence has grown exponentially since the conception of its idea, making it one of the most valuable resources for companies, businesses, governments, and organizations of various natures. Big data’s spread has developed new frontiers in how organizations view, collect, and utilize data, which makes predictions of the future easier and more accessible. In addition, big data allows for the spread and diffusion of information and data: powerful tools in allowing humanity to take their own futures into their own hands. Its influence is hard to contain because of how rapidly it spreads to other fields and aspects of data science.
Speed. The speed at which data is collected and analyzed is another defining characteristic of big data, pictured in Figure 2. Close to real-time records and analyses causes big data to be one of the most impactful innovations in a rapidly growing and evolving society. The nature of big data is that it is constantly evolving and changing depending on the different data points received which can be up to billions of points at any given moment. This data is also diffused extremely rapidly because of ever-expansive information diffusion technologies. Speed covers the generation, reception, analysis, and movement of data which makes it one of the most inclusive aspects. Everything has changed with the advent of rapid processing, which makes big data all the more impactful.
Size. Big data is called big data for a reason: the sheer size of the data is practically endless, which is why size is also a defining characteristic. All these points from all these locations are constantly being collected and analyzed globally, which makes for massive amounts of data waiting to be used and analyzed to predict future trends. A deciding factor in its size is computing power; as further technological advances are made, more data will be used as part of something bigger than the whole sky. When the limits of data are being constantly pushed, technology has no choice but to evolve with it, and we have no choice but to make peace with it.
Sampling. Big data varies from statistics in its focus on samples of data, like in Figure 3 in which only a selected part of the whole picture is highlighted. Big data signifies the drift away from the need to take samples of data, a once standard method of data collection and analysis. When the scope of data is limited, only limited conclusions can be drawn from the given data, which is a limit that statistics has that big data overcomes. By getting rid of the limits that sampling data carries, big data allows us to look at the bigger picture with minimal biases and failure to see beyond the given points, such as the perspective seen in Figure 3. Samples of data will start to decline with the evolution of big data and may not, in fact, come back stronger than a ’90s trend.
Significance. The significance of big data is something that, long story short, is highly valuable to all aspects of our society. Big data is a powerful resource that constantly gives us insight into the world we live in today. Although navigating big data seems to be a labyrinth of information and concepts that undermine what we once thought was impossible, it’s a resource that benefits us in ways that go beyond our wildest dreams. Companies and organizations have limitless uses for all the data that they collect, but depending on how they use it, it can either make worlds of a difference or barely a change at all. The concept of big data is hard enough to comprehend, but only through the utilization of it can we see how much of a difference it truly makes.
Although the V’s of big data are more pronounced in the field, the progression of constantly defining new terms has raised some questions about the validity of all the V’s: are they all really necessary for defining the never-ending scope of big data? This seems to be beyond the core of what big data truly is, and clearly, there is no definitive answer to what big data truly means in advanced societies like today’s. The only way to be able to truly understand it is to utilize it in a way that society and the world as a whole can benefit from. The effects of big data are limitless, but is society really ready for it?
REFERENCES.
Module 1 | Big Data. Big Data. (2021). https://www.cissbigdata.org/module-1-introduction-to-big-data
Firican, G. (2020). The 10 vs of Big Data. BrightTALK. https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/9059/436098
