We live in an age where data about who you are, where you are, and what you’re doing is being collected and tucked away into databases so large, traditional processing software is inadequate to handle it all. This is the age of big data, a powerful and rich resource that continues to grow more quickly than we are able to find ways to make use of it. Our lives are being tallied and measured by posts, emails, purchases, pictures, and clicks. Public policy is shaped by our values and ideals, and we express many of those through the things we do. As such, used responsibly, the data we recorded about the things we do can help guide public policy decisions. Big data has the power to transform the public sector and is frequently cited as a … [Read more...]