Cookies help us display personalized product recommendations and ensure you have great shopping experience.

By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
  • Analytics
    AnalyticsShow More
    big data analytics in transporation
    Turning Data Into Decisions: How Analytics Improves Transportation Strategy
    3 Min Read
    sales and data analytics
    How Data Analytics Improves Lead Management and Sales Results
    9 Min Read
    data analytics and truck accident claims
    How Data Analytics Reduces Truck Accidents and Speeds Up Claims
    7 Min Read
    predictive analytics for interior designers
    Interior Designers Boost Profits with Predictive Analytics
    8 Min Read
    image fx (67)
    Improving LinkedIn Ad Strategies with Data Analytics
    9 Min Read
  • Big Data
  • BI
  • Exclusive
  • IT
  • Marketing
  • Software
Search
© 2008-25 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: A Strained Data Science Analogy
Share
Notification
Font ResizerAa
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • About
  • Help
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
SmartData Collective > Data Management > A Strained Data Science Analogy
Data Management

A Strained Data Science Analogy

DavidMSmith
DavidMSmith
3 Min Read
SHARE

In the sponsored article Data Science: Buyer Beware at Forbes, SAP’s Ray Rivera takes a dim view of Data Science. According to Rivera, Data Science is a “management fad” in the mold of Business Process Reengineering, and casts data scentists as self-ordained “gurus” whose mission is to stand between the “ignorant masses” that need access to data and a company’s valuable data stores.

In the sponsored article Data Science: Buyer Beware at Forbes, SAP’s Ray Rivera takes a dim view of Data Science. According to Rivera, Data Science is a “management fad” in the mold of Business Process Reengineering, and casts data scentists as self-ordained “gurus” whose mission is to stand between the “ignorant masses” that need access to data and a company’s valuable data stores. He likens data scientists to the icemen of the olden days, keen to provide a handcrafted service instead of the newfangled automated solution: 

I don’t want no iceman
I’m gonna get me a Frigidaire …
I don’t want nobody
Who’s always hangin’ around.

If you’ve been following my writings about data science on this blog or in my webinar on the Rise of Data Science, you’ll know I find this viewpoint to be total bunk. (So does Melinda Thielbar, who offers an excellent critique of Rivera’s post from the perspective of a practicing data scientist.) First, Data Science definitely isn’t a management process, and it’s certainly not a fad: statistical analysis, one of the three components of Data Science, has been used in companies for more than 100 years, and the advent of Big Data and all of its applications has only solidified its importance in recent years. Secondly, acting as a gatekeeper to data is the antithesis of Data Science: a data scientist’s main focus should be on liberating data by creating data apps that provide on-demand access to data analysis, while implementing the unique expertise that data scientists provide. 

There’s much more I could say about this, but my thoughts are captured in detail in this podcast at the IBM Big Data Hub. In my conversation with David Pittman we also cover whether Data Science is “sexy” (note: there’s no such thing as a calendar on the theme of “Guys and Gals of Data Science”), and how the R language is an ideal platform for creating data apps. You can listen to the podcast at the link below.

More Read

office 365 data protection
Tips to Protect Office 365 Systems from Data Breaches
Big Data and the Perception of Privacy
Of Baby Black Swans and the Race to Zero
Preparing Yourself to Move to Apache Spark
How to Stay Out of Cash Flow Crises Using Cash Position Analysis

IBM Big Data Hub: Rebuffing “Buyer Beware” Attitude on Data Science

TAGGED:Data ScienceRay Rivera
Share This Article
Facebook Pinterest LinkedIn
Share

Follow us on Facebook

Latest News

big data analytics in transporation
Turning Data Into Decisions: How Analytics Improves Transportation Strategy
Analytics Big Data Exclusive
AI and fund manager software
AI And The Acceleration Of Information Flows From Fund Managers To Investors
Artificial Intelligence Exclusive
sales and data analytics
How Data Analytics Improves Lead Management and Sales Results
Analytics Big Data Exclusive
ai in marketing
How AI and Smart Platforms Improve Email Marketing
Artificial Intelligence Exclusive Marketing

Stay Connected

1.2kFollowersLike
33.7kFollowersFollow
222FollowersPin

You Might also Like

Data Scientists
Big DataExclusiveInside CompaniesITJobs

What Aspiring Data Scientists Are Looking For in Hiring Companies

7 Min Read
365 Data Science
Data Science

365 Data Science Courses Free Until November 21

4 Min Read

Using Data Science on TripAdvisor Reviews (Part 1)

6 Min Read
coursera pper grading
Uncategorized

Adventures in MOOC: Back to School, Part 2

6 Min Read

SmartData Collective is one of the largest & trusted community covering technical content about Big Data, BI, Cloud, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, IoT & more.

ai in ecommerce
Artificial Intelligence for eCommerce: A Closer Look
Artificial Intelligence
ai is improving the safety of cars
From Bolts to Bots: How AI Is Fortifying the Automotive Industry
Artificial Intelligence

Quick Link

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-25 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?