What can’t we measure in a quantified world?

Jill Walker RettbergProfessor of Digital Culture, University of Bergen

TEDxBergen, October 4, 2014

Social media marketing strategist at Bergen Chamber of Commerce, Nov 28, 2013

The wonderful thing about digital media is you can

measure it.

Sunday at home with the kids.

Monday at work.

Tuesday - walked to work, used standing desk, more aware of not

just sitting still.

(this isn’t new)

Benjamin Franklin’s virtues:Temperance,

Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity,

Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Chastity, Tranquility, Humility

We bring up our children to expect detailed tracking

http://youtub.blogg.no/1253879937_anmerkninger_ordfrern.html

“Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as

pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can

make or acquire.”

Susan Sontag, On Photography, 1973

Image: (CC) Greg Peverill-Conti https://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpc/8709429483

Dataism is a widespread belief in the objective quantification and

potential tracking of all kinds of human behavior and sociality

through online media technologies.

José van DijckProfessor of Media Studies University of Amsterdam

digital traces

(cc) Greg Wass https://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorywass/13104114915/

Johanna Drucker on subjective visualisations.

Johanna Drucker on subjective visualisations.

Marwick, Status Update, page 12.

In the early twentieth century, the technology of public schooling was designed to regulate children to work in factories: children were trained to respond to bells, walk in lines, and perform repetitive tasks. (..) Web 2.0 technologies function similarly, teaching their users to be good corporate citizens in the postindustrial, post-union world by harnessing marketing techniques to boost attention and visibility.

What about the things we cannot

measure?

“You need to measure everything, make adjustments,

measure again.”

Social media marketing strategist at Bergen Chamber of Commerce, Nov 28, 2013

There are some things we cannot measure.

Measurements don’t give the whole picture? Then measure more. Put up more weather

stations. Get more data to create a more complete picture.

Anders Brenna (@abrenna) to Bergen Chamber of Commerce, 28 Nov 2013.

So what should we add?

@jilltxt