"Data" is a meme in much the same way "social" was a meme a few years ago. Every muffler shop was being told they needed to have twitter, facebook, myspace, li

"Data" is a meme in much the same way "social" was a meme a few years ago. Every muffler shop was being told they needed to have twitter, facebook, myspace, linkedin, and G+ accounts else they'd be outpaced by more social-aware competitors. That is patently false. There exists a short list of domains in which great value can be extracted from a strong social media presence, but outside those domains the value of social media remains dubious. Do I really give a shit if the Chevron gas station down the street is on facebook? Is PetroCanada going to steal my business by engaging with me on twitter? Of course not. When my fuel gauge reaches the point where I no longer have the warm-and-fuzzies, I fill up at the closest station with the lowest price that's the easiest to get in and out of. The situation is analogous for data. Not every business or domain is going to be able to derive value from it.