W 1. Introduction

h
Briefly Summarize Necessary Background Information
The concept of datafication was popularized by Mayer-Schoenberger and Cukier's (2013) early
descriptions of "big data", and is now used by researchers to describe how digital interactions are being

e turned into records that can be collected, processed and finally – sold.

Keep in mind that data collection is an ongoing process that involves converting as many aspects of our
lives as possible into computerized data in order to enable real-time tracking and predictive analysis.

n Due to the issue of continuity, gathered information is automatically collected, processed, and stored in
dedicated data infrastructure, which is mostly owned by corporations or governments.

Datafication is already assisting society by monitoring weather and seismic activity, improving health
care, detecting fraud schemes, and tracking students' progress. And, as the number of records grows,
more and more businesses are looking for new ways to turn even more aspects of human life into a

E
continuous source of data, with a particular emphasis on social interactions.

The primary reason for this shift is that once habits and routines are converted to data, they can be
monitored, analyzed, improved, and monetized. This provides businesses with the opportunity to

d
translate human behavior into practical knowledge that has the potential to influence customer actions
and adjust core business strategy. Or, for social organizations to quickly identify those in need. In
general, the more types of value that data can generate, the more valuable it is.

w
What matters most is that businesses can still collect a large amount of data, store it, and decide how to
use it later, even if they don't use it right now. As a result, businesses can now begin collecting data on
previously untraceable processes. And, once processed, they can become data-driven (being able to,

a
i.e., reduce the risk of introducing new products or services to the market).

Seminar Detail Introduction

r Before we get into the definition of datafication, let's first take a minute to explain the concept of data
itself. In computing, data is defined as information that has been translated into a form that is

d
efficient for movement or processing. As of today, it is a binary digital form.
A piece of information can be generated by any measurable action taken by anyone using almost
anything tech-related. So, you generate data when you use your email, pay with a credit card, or unlock
a personal device. Your children generate data as well while they complete another level of their
favorite game, check their social media feeds, or go to a brand store with a smartphone in their pocket.
Your boss generates a solid portion of data as he moves around the smart office, which is jam-packed
with sensors, or when his car registration activates automatic garage doors. Your phone is also
streaming data and constantly updating your location, adding it to photos, and, if you give it
permission, letting other devices know where you are (learn more about beacons).
The sun or rain generates the data as well (collected by the sensors). Your smart home devices do. A
tram stopped at a red light. A water heater in your basement. Even your dog can generate data if a store
or a dog park installs a scanner that can read its chip number (and connect it to your customer profile).
And the data is undoubtedly recorded as you both pass by a security camera at a nearby ATM – and
we're not talking about the visuals only.

This leads to two important observations.

1. To begin with, data is an extremely abstract concept that does not exist in nature. We
create it by collecting and processing data from various actions as they occur – you
can think of its collection as “snapping a photo”. It catches a glimpse of reality of a
simple parameter and freezes it forever. So, to observe any change you have to take a
solid handful of photos and compare them, focusing on a chosen factor. But some
cameras have great lenses and true colors and others shoot only black-and-white, highly
contrasted frames. This is the difference between the number of details collected by
sensors vs. complex devices (such a s smartphone).
2. Secondly, the data processing possibilities are only limited by the capabilities of the
devices assigned to the task and our own creativity. As a matter of fact, some devices
collect far more data than expected, resulting in complex big data clusters aside to a
small portion to "traditional" sorted datasets. Think of them as the “backgrounds” of
your picture collection, which can also be compared, based on a variety of factors.

Those massive clusters (measured in tera-, peta-, and exa-bytes) have yet to be analyzed (and
then classified) using advanced machine learning algorithms distributed across a network of
computers. All while continuously acquiring new records in real time.
Data science, which combines math, programming, domain knowledge, scientific methods,
algorithms, processes, and systems to make working with data easier, promises to aid in
managing such massive amounts of data.