Data for All

1 A history of data

This chapter covers

• What occurs as we create data through our online and offline actions
• The ramifications and implications of creating data that we do not control
• How the current data ecosystem originated
• Why we do not understand the true nature of data ownership
• A review of inaccurate descriptions of the primary characteristics of data

The path of least resistance is rarely the path of wisdom.¹ 

—Tim Cook

Digital data was a minor and relatively static component in our parents’ and grandparents’ lives. Almost no attention was paid to it, and rightly so. Data was local, relatively static, and was not easily shared. There was almost no infrastructure to share data between individuals or companies and even less interest in ...