A Time Capsule of Data
In the seminar week on Value-sensitive design, we discussed data privacy. We also spoke about how data privacy is a more recent value particularly in the context of value-sensitive design. Now, just before the seminar week on Data humanism, I am thinking around a prompt of privately collecting my own data.
In a nutshell, I believe this exercise would be almost like an advanced form of a diary. I used to maintain a diary until high-school, and write about all my daily events — what I liked in the day, what I didn’t like. I used to write about how my best friend said something and it hurt me. Or how my crush asked me about my weekend and it was a sign of a possible fairy tale!
My life path until now has been a lot of chance occurrences. In my new data diary, I would like to collect thoughts about all the chance occurrences in my life in the next ten years. For instance, my entering the discipline of Design was a chance occurring — After high school, I contemplated studying natural sciences, or engineering, or art. Then I prepared for the engineering entrance exams of the best engineering colleges in India, i.e. the Indian Institutes of Technology. And then, after all the engineering entrance exam results came in, I found out about the discipline of design and enrolled myself in the BDes program at IIT Guwahati!
I believe that chance occurrences like this are a pattern in my life. They make me happy and keep me excited about what is to come ;) Ten years later, I would love to have documented the black swans in my life. In 2030, my age would be 37 which would quite nearly be the mid-point of my lifespan! At that point, I can imagine a story of a decade of my life, as formed by destiny and chance occurrences. I believe it might help me approach the next half of my life with a positive mindset. :)
Edit to original blog: I like listening to hymns from Gurbani while cooking, working or even just walking home in the evening. One of them is particularly relevant when thinking of past, future, and the meaning of events. It reads ‘Jehi vidhi hoye nath hith mora’.
