Big Scary Complex Open Data

Greetings from the CSIRO Discovery Centre, where Dr Markus Buchhorn is speaking on "Big Data: Big Scary Complex and Open Data". Dr Buchhorn mentioned "The Internet of Things", wearable devices and MOOCs (but was a little sceptical of MOOCs). The "National eResearch Collaboration Tools and Resources" (NeCTAR) at the Australian National Data Service was also mentioned. Dr Buchhorn related this back to government, business and even personal computing, with "cloud computing". Organisations and even individuals can use the same tools and techniques as big data users. But big data scientific users, with the Square Kilometre Array Telescope and the like, will require their own dedicated facilities. Also security and legal/privacy restrictions may require data to be stored at a particular locations. Examples of uses for big data range from predicting climate change to selling beer to fathers while they are in the supermarket for nappies.

  Also there is an "Australian Public Service Big Data Strategy" and a "APS Better Practice Guide for Big Data".

Branch Forum: BIG DATA - Big Scary Complex and Open Data

Big data is a broad concept that means different things to different people.

This talk will look at the perspectives around “big” data from researchers and educators and government agencies. This is a world where petabytes are not uncommon, where outcomes can change not just some people’s lives but the future of humanity and our planet – and some less edifying outcomes. It will also discuss the issues around “openness” and access to data; when should it be more widely available, under what rules, to whom, and how can we achieve that. 

To support these kinds of activities is not just a political/social discussion, challenging enough, but also a technical one, requiring appropriate infrastructure and skills to collect, manage, analyse and share the data/results. All of this in a world with continually new market offerings, new technologies, shrinking budgets, higher expectations, and greater competition.

Biography:

Dr Markus Buchhorn

Programme Manager with several national and international research infrastructure projects

Dr Buchhorn is a former astrophysicist, a former geek, a former University IT director, a former company director providing technology services to universities, and now consults widely on ICT enablement and enhancement of research, education and societal services.