My Digital FootPrint

Predator-prey models are helpful and are often used in environmental science because they allow researchers to both observe the dynamics of animal populations and make predictions as to how they will develop/ change over time. I have been quiet as we have been unpacking an idea that with a specific data set, we can model user behaviour based on a dynamic competitive market. This Predator-prey method, when applied to understand why users are behaving in a certain way, opens up a lot of questions we don’t have answers to.   As a #CDO, we have to remain curious, and this is curious.  Using the example of the rabbit and the fox. We know that there is a lag between growth in a rabbit population and the increase in a fox population.  The lag varies on each cycle, as does the peak and minimum of each animal.  We know that there is a lag between minimal rabbits and minimal foxes, as foxes can find other food sources and rabbits die of other causes. Some key observation...

Privacy means something unique to everyone and it depends on who you ask, how you ask and in what contest. However, privacy by law gives you the right to be let alone. It should enable you to have a space and freedom away from interference and intrusion. Other more subtle privacy ideas include: Information privacy is the right to have some control over how your personal information is collected and used. Personal privacy taking the general right of everyone but making it better for you than others State privacy. Part of the thinking that legislation such as the "Official Secrets Act" is set up to protect the state above the individual Group Privacy: protecting individuals rights at scale, when considering analysis and re-identification. …….There are lots more Transparency – according to Wiki ….. as used in science , engineering , business , the humanities and in other social contexts, is operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are ...

Image source:  linking quantum and relativity We love the idea of a single unified theory of everything. One eloquent and beautiful equation which describes everything. It can unfold and from it, all that is, can and will be explained.  It would provide a rationale to the unexplained and a purpose for the unreasonable. Such an equation would have logic, it can be translated into an algorithm, which we can code and run. From this exiliar we can solve all questions of humanity and our future will be predictable. It raises lots of questions. If we found the equation surely we would dissolve the need for a soul, our belief would be worthless, hope would be irrelevant, faith pointless and luck would be a calculation. Chaos and humanity will give way to order and authority — the Matrix was real. Ignoring if possible or if that is what we want, physics helpfully starts to highlight one of many problems of any unified theory. Relativity ( big stuff) has one set of equations a...

The image come from https://iclif.org/articles/give-employees-freedom-within-framework/ a super interesting post "Give Your Employees Freedom Within a Framework"

For sometime it has been a wrestle as to why "consent" could be the wrong word.  I have looked at a number of ways of exploring this thinking, but have failed to nail the "why."  Here are a few previous blog exploring the thinking: Why the portability of consent is important is  explored here   Layered consent is like peeling an onion, only to find it is not an onion is explored here Why opt-in and opt-out are the beginnings of consent is explored here What level of consent is reasonable the balance of forgiveness vs approval is explored here So this thinking got me looking at when consent ends in the traditional sense of the word.  Consent being that you provide your approval for something to happen. In the context it is used in law, consent is most often interrupted for the next action, next event or next period of time and once the event, time or action has passed the original consent is lapsed and new consent is sort. Consent cannot be ...

This post is not should Amazon create a bank, just would BigTech companies do better at the retail FinTech/ banking functions because of the data they hold on you and me? --- All of Amazon’s reporting data is here , Q4 will be released on 31.1.2019. We know from the existing reporting that they have passed 500,000 employees, added $5Bn to cash and sales income of over £200bn. Whilst the Q10 reporting give numbers, facts and a short section on risks there is no mention of data. Can AMAZON or any other BigTech buy an existing international retail bank in cash – yes, but would they be able to do any better? Ignoring the specific relationship that customers have with Amazon and these same customers with their banks, the regulation frameworks and that Amazon has a range of credit/ gift card offers right now; the question:- “Is any of the BiGTech’s data set on me (and you) provide an advantage insomuch that it would enable them to make better decisions as a “bank” that say y...

The majority who read this will be aware of the response that when a digital or Internet service is Free; you are the product. It is most probably an adaption of a 1970 quote from the TV/media industry. Free to Air TV, which is advertising supported, means you watch for FREE in exchange for attention to watch adverts, as product and service owners hope you will buy. The idea of this post is to explore this line of thinking a little further, as with the introduction of PSD2, GDPR and many other new regulatory frameworks from the US to Australia: the user/ consumer can now get their data back, so this idea needs to be looked at again with our digital glasses on. The purpose here to raise questions with the hope others will help explore what it means through commentary.  Definitions for this post  Derivative : A derivative is a contract between two or more parties whose value is based on an agreed-upon underlying digital data asset (like your social media posts)...

The Future of Capitalism by Paul Collier  outlines original, pragmatism and ethical ways of addressing the growing gaps between economic prosperity and being more humane. The topic is of great importance and you may not agree with the content but it is beautifully written and important book. The author takes on the failures of contemporary capitalism driven by national and global policy for the now discontent of contemporary high-income western countries and offers (practical) ideas and policies to address them. Drawing on ideas from some of the world's most distinguished social scientists and much of his own personal background and leading research Paul shows us how to save the ideals “capitalism” from itself - and free ourselves from the intellectual baggage of the 20th century. “Deep rifts are tearing apart the fabric of our societies. They are bringing new anxieties and new anger to our people, and new passions to our politics. Thriving cities versus the provin...

Hello World by Hannah Fry .   Follow Hanna on Twitter My take If you are having any issues explaining algorithms, data or the impact to anyone from a student to the CEO. READ this book ! It is brilliant. I highlighted more in this book than most Hannah brings out that algorithms and data bias is part of society, however the scale is now something we cannot hide from.  Past controls were hidden but now are out in the open, but sometimes we don’t have a clue how it happens We have a choice every time we use a service - be lazy or be in control.  Neither is better however, to become dependent on the algorithm is not about the loss of control but about the loss of identity Control of the algorithm is not limited to the code, but the weaknesses of the machine, design and data. Love Hannah’s take on AI, will be writing up another book on AI soon - so will keep thinking on AI for that. When people are unaware that they are being manipulated, they tend t...

This is also published on LinkedIn and Medium as well  Data is Data.  It is not Oil or Gold or Labour or anything else! Words, in general, are a creative symbolic linguistic invention through which people invoke concepts and meanings that are flexible enough to enable we Homo sapiens to shortcut detailed explanations.  A dog = mammal, furry, four legs, barks, teeth etc. However, words; because they are a shortcut, often lack context and relationship that add “meaning”. Words are “data” which requires the addition of meaning derived from context to “inform” the listener - to become “inform-ation.”   Love, for example, can mean, or be interpreted to mean, many propositions depending on context and relationship. The 2019 update to the New Oxford Dictionary brings in the words   agender and intersexual to help define better and enable more nuanced conversations about  sexuality and gender identity, as society has words without the specific context...