Good Data

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Good Data: 

Data whose originator had good intentions: 

The FEWS Net (Ethiopia):

  • FEWS NET monitors and provides early warning analysis of ongoing, imminent, or emerging threats to food security and maintains the flexibility to analyze unanticipated crises around the world.

  • Between 1983 and 1985 there was a heavy drought and famine in Ethiopia particularly in the northern region. 

  • FEWS NET has significantly helped Ethiopia by providing early warnings and detailed food security analyses, enabling timely responses to famine threats. By monitoring factors like rainfall, crop yields, market prices, and nutrition data, it predicts food shortages and identifies at-risk populations. These forecasts have allowed the Ethiopian government and humanitarian organizations to prepare in advance, mobilize resources, and implement targeted interventions, such as food distribution and cash transfers.

  • The FEWS NET is data being used for a good purpose that has a positive life saving impact on a large population. 

Reflection: 

  • Yes. The context and its classification matter. This is a humanitarian attempt to save lives that actually succeeded by working with multiple facets of data. This is important because this frame work has given early alerts to multiple countries saving numerous lives. 

  • I am from Ethiopia. Yes I was not alive in the time of the famine but the aftermath of the drought still haunts Ethiopia till the present day. Networks like the FEWS has helped my country continue civilization and helped out when my country was facing a national threat. 

  • I absolutely love the initiative. Famine and drought are some of the evils of the world that I would argue are overlooked in the present day. These initiatives should exist so that every country would have access to early warnings to prepare for famine and droughtt

  • They would probably appreciate the label of "good data" I don't think there would be a rational actor that would label this otherwise

Data whose originator had bad intentions: 

TRC surveillance data (South Africa): 

  • During apartheid rule in South Africa, the government implemented a racially discriminatory system that oppressed non-white citizens. Extensive surveillance data was collected by the apartheid regime through police, intelligence agencies, and bureaucratic institutions. This included monitoring individuals and groups deemed threats to state securitty
  • After the apartheid rule ended, the same data was analyzed to document human rights abuses, support transitional justice, and inform reparations and reconciliation efforts.


Reflection: 

  • This is a very important situation. I grew up learning about apartheid, about division and racial oppression. What makes apartheid dangerous is control. Control over norms, control over data and narratives. And control leads to access, and surveillance was utilized to belittle and oppress. The fact that the TRC flipped the table and used bad data for good is nothing but poetic justice. The aftermath of apartheid was about coming together, not retaliation. Even in the way they handled evil data, they showed that even in an atrocity such as this, good can somehow be found.
  • I would also would want to use this for different conflict ridden areas. Although very little can be done in the time of injustice. That we do in the aftermath doesn't have anything with data but intention.
  • Of course, the originator of this data would agree with the blanket label of good data but would definitely disagree on intention and context.


Data which is good for being informative:

The Fiscal Impact of the Harris and Trump Campaign Plans:

  • The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget is a non-partisan organization that assesses, projects, and makes recommendations on fiscal spending. On October 7th, an updated projection of the impact that Harris or Trump would have was released. This report was very informative to the public, as the economy was one of the main voting issues in the 2024 election.




Fig: Fiscal Impact Graph


Reflection: 

  • The purpose of this data was to provide statistics, clarity and facts in terms of projecting the future of the US based on plans given by the prospective president.

  • My connection to this specific data was because I was trying to research future projections in terms of national spending and debt this actually provided concern, clarity and most of all a well rounded possibility of what might happen in the future in the economy

  • The only thing I would change about this data is that since the CFR have people from both republican and democratic circles I would have made their voices heard and present their opinions instead of giving a general stat.

  • I think the renderer would agree and would say: "It is the economy, stupid.


Data which is good at contextualizing, or itself is contextualized for good: 

The Bible: 

  • We usually don't classify the Bible or any other scripture as a traditional "data set," but if we really think about it and extrapolate the religious undertones (if we even can) and just see it as a body of work, it is scripture written by 40 authors over 1,500 years, comprising 66 books. It flows into one another chronologically and contextually, following various storylines and concepts throughout the years while also referencing itself.
  • There are around 63,000 accounted references across the Bible. The visual representation of this data shows how it was contextualized to follow a specific chain of events.



Fig 2: Artwork (rendered data visualization) of all cross references across the bible


Reflection:

  • The context of this data is extremely important. From a religious standpoint, data integrity in terms of scripture illustrates credibility, which in turn strengthens faith. From a scientific standpoint, many historical and archaeological findings have been discovered because of the entries of the authors.
  • I was raised a Christian, and growing up in the church, although we stress the importance of scripture, we don't talk as much about the context in which it was written and the good it has on believers and the masses as well.

  • I am amazed by it. I want to look into it more.

  • The originators would probably not even regard this as a "data set" but if my church pastor saw this he would definitely be proud.


Data which is good for the outcome it has / might lead to:

UNESCO World Heritage Data:

  • The purpose of UNESCO World Heritage Data is to document, protect, and promote sites of outstanding cultural, natural, or mixed significance that represent the shared heritage of humanity. These sites are recognized under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention for their universal value, historical importance, or ecological uniqueness.

  • By designating and monitoring these locations, UNESCO encourages international cooperation, raises awareness about their importance.

  • This data collection, and its presentation has significantly boosted the tourism of numerous countries that otherwise would be overlooked 


Reflection: 

  • The context of this data is important because the intention of this data and the results align. The UNESCO World Heritage data provides recognition and also drives tourism to specific places.

  • My personal connection to this data is that I remember when I was a kid, one of Ethiopia's cultural festivals found a spot in the heritage data. That was a big deal for the country. The country's reputation had been tarnished by political violence and natural disasters, and having that recognition drove tourism and helped rectify Ethiopia's image.

  • I would want UNESCO to work more on understanding cultures as they are instead of how they should be perceived. When listing heritage and cultural quality data, it is very easy to stray away and do injustice in identification. I would also want to identify dead or dying cultures to help lift them up on the global stage.

  • I think the originator of the data would agree that this has had a positive impact on those who secured a spot on the list.

References: 


  • https://fews.net/about/our-work#:~:text=FEWS%20NET%20monitors%20and%20provides,unanticipated%20crises%20around%20the%20world.
  • https://www.justice.gov.za/trc/
  • https://www.britannica.com/topic/Truth-and-Reconciliation-Commission-South-Africa
  • Born a Crime, By Trevor Noah 
  • https://www.crfb.org/papers/fiscal-impact-harris-and-trump-campaign-plans
  • https://www.chrisharrison.net/index.php/visualizations/BibleViz

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