Stats have this terrible way of turning you — or, at least, me — into a zombie. I know that they don’t say anything. I know that huge chunks of my Twitter followers are bots, that I could’ve bought my way to a higher Amazon ranking, that my Medium stats say nothing about the quality of my work, and that I should not treat any number out there as a mechanism for self-evaluation of my worth as a human being.
I believe there is a limit to what data can tell us or inform our practice, especially in regards to context and creativity.
In regards to Cricket, I read an interesting reflection from Andre Borovec recently. Although we have a multitude of data at our fingertips, we also need to be mindful how this is utilised.
The danger, Andre Borovec says, is taking away players’ creativity and instinct.
…
Borovec oversaw the Renegades’ opposition analysis during their title year in BBL|08 and admits their regular game plan had to go out the window during their remarkable final victory over rivals Melbourne Stars.
When the Stars were showing the first signs of a batting collapse in pursuit of a modest target, Renegades skipper Finch brought back strike quick Chris Tremain to bowl the 14th over.
A less flexible skipper would have stuck to the plan of bowling spin through that period, but Tremain immediately dismissed dangerman Glenn Maxwell and the Stars folded in spectacular fashion.
I think it is like connecting the dots, sometimes this can be positive and productive, however sometimes it can lead to conspiracy theories.
As a side note, I have enjoyed dipping into bits of the Data Smart Schools project. Also have Tim Harford’s The Data Detective on my list of books to read. However, the quote that has left me thinking the most about data recently has been this from Nassim Nicholas Taleb:
In refusing to run to catch trains, I have felt the true value of elegance and aesthetics in behavior, a sense of being in control of my time, my schedule, and my life. Missing a train is only painful if you run after it! Likewise, not matching the idea of success others expect from you is only painful if that’s what you are seeking.
Thanks, Aaron for your thoughts. Not sure why they aren’t appearing on my end. I’m definitely continuing to reflect on my relationship with data. I didn’t even discuss how I’m trying to understand all the COVID data, climate change and big data in general. I’m pretty focused on my personal connection but realize there are direct parallels to the bigger questions. I do agree that data has the potential to de-humanize many of our experiences. We all need to have these conversations more regularly as all of us are highly influenced by data.