Misunderstand Yoda, you should not

On Twitter, @rsoper72 (Randy Soper) wrote in response to our article suggesting 'Yodas' for big data: @FcwNow, what a bizarre thing for DCIO (Deputy CIO & CTO) Commerce to suggest. Isn't the idea to use tech to solve the data problem? If it's not there...

Frank Konkel responds: Misinterpreted the DCIO's remarks, you may have.

The overwhelming theme from Carahsoft's Government Big Data Forum and its several panel discussions was that technology is growing faster than our ability to harness, manage and glean insights from the data we're creating. It's also outpaced our ability to put together data-sharing policies that enhance information sharing between agencies that developed in an era where siloed data was the norm. I believe Kirit Amin, the DCIO of the U.S. Department of Commerce, was essentially saying that all the technology in the world doesn't do a bit of good if it isn't managed and operated intelligently.

Regarding big data, think of it this way: If a few visionary data ninjas – or Yodas -- across the public sector could champion big-data initiatives and publicize the benefits of say, combining Treasury department data with Census Bureau records, it might help educate agencies on the potentials out there and it might help drive policy changes, too.

(We recently answered another question from Soper. Read it here.)

A note from Online Managing Editor Michael Hardy: Some readers may be wondering why an article that so prominently referred to a popular pop-culture character didn't include a picture of that character, say, holding a light-saber or levitating Luke Skywalker's sunken X-Wing. The reason is that LucasFilm, now owned by Disney, controls the legal use of images from its films, and while pictures of Yoda are plentiful all over the Internet, we chose not to risk the empire striking back.