The Data Industry

CHAPTER 4EXISTING DATA INNOVATIONS

There is an ongoing debate as to whether data innovation is disruptive or incremental. The “disruptive” side argues that the micro innovations aimed at improvement in the user experience are just the typical characteristics of disruptive innovations, as constant dripping water wearing holes in the stone, thus making many more small-but-excellent and fast-and-accurate enterprises sufficient to transform industry worldwide. The “incremental” side believes that the word “disruptive” is derogatory, and because breakthroughs are made little by little, the innovations should be incremental. No matter which side wins, it is undoubtedly that the power of innovation is rising.

4.1 WEB CREATIONS

The Internet has emerged as a global industrial medium that now drives web creations of all sorts. It is both a true outlet for self-expression and original work and for unique design conceptions and product customizations. In essence, the Internet has demonstrated the richness of grassroots' creativity beyond the orthodoxy of the mainstream.

It should be noted that the web creations, as intellectual achievements in the form of “data” from the first day of existence, are a type of primary data product that is continuously being innovated.

4.1.1 Network Writing

In this section, we discuss network writing. We take the China experience as the main example here, given the unexpected rise and thrive of Chinese online literature.

Early Chinese online novels were ...