AOL has “released three month’s worth of users’ query logs to a publicly accessible Web site late last month (Hafner).” The release of the data has brought on some discussion of whether the data they have released is good or bad data. But what is the best kind of data, new data or old data?
It is obvious that some of the best data is new and updated data because it gives you the best and most accurate answers to what you are looking for. New data is the most accurate way of using information to better your study. But is new data better than or just as beneficial as old data?
Old data is either seen as useful or completely pointless. “Some see the data as too valuable to withhold altogether. “One of the biggest problems is trying to get real data,” said Christopher Manning, an assistant professor of computer science and linguistics at
Stanford
University (Hafner).” I find that old information can be useful for the purpose of going back and comparing new data to old data. Even though the AOL data is old and outdated from their customers, Hafner still thinks that it is too useful to throw away. “Professor Manning said, “I think it’s fair to say that given researchers’ craving for data, having the AOL data available is a great boon for research (Hafner).”
The difference between old and new data is very little, and it depends on what you use it for. Many researchers are finding it hard to get rid of the AOL data because they can find it valuable. This is just one of many ways that you can find old data useful.
Hafner, K. (2006, August 23). Researchers yearn to use AOL logs, but they hesitate. New York Times.
