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I don't find may life so interesting that I would want to take the time and effort to record every event for later reflection. I'd rather to remember things im

I don't find may life so interesting that I would want to take the time and effort to record every event for later reflection. I'd rather to remember things imperfectly. Isn't the need to for a record ones life like this obsessive compulsive behavior?

Gormo 17y ago
Collecting data gives you the ability to aggregate past events, look at them statistically, and uncover patterns that may be counter-intuitive or just not apparent when looking at each event independently. You can then use this knowledge to develop heuristics and rulesets that you can apply to better live your life. For example, maybe you discover that when you eat a banana, you get a surge of energy ~30 minutes later that lasts for ~1 hour. Now you know that when you need an hour's worth of energy, you can eat a banana a half-hour before. That's a pretty simple example, but if you analyze various aspects of your life, you can gain much better control over it.
- thumper 17y ago
  Another example that came up while I was testing the Zeo: their tracker asks how much caffeine you have after 3pm daily. While I was messing around with their graphs, I discovered a clear correlation between cans of soda and poor sleep the next night. That might seem "obvious", but it was a real surprise to me because I had never noticed any relation at all. At the time I was trying to stop soda at 6pm and I go to bed at midnight, so it was even more surprising that the effect was so long lasting.
- _delirium 17y ago
  I'm not sure there are no downsides, though, in line with the previous post's reference to obsessive-compulsive behavior. In some cases, I think more data gives you better control, but in others, I think you end up in a self-referential loop where you're spending your time meta-managing your life instead of actually doing things. Considering how popular cargo-cult self-help type things end up becoming, I can imagine this even reducing people's control over their lives, as they now have enough data to force themselves to follow the latest diet or productivity fad more completely, instead of making independent decisions unconstrained by matching up data against external "what you should do given the data" flowcharts. The title even hints at that: a data-driven life, i.e. what you do is determined by what the data says you should do.
- Psyonic 17y ago
  That's not simple at all. You'd need to be analyzing your energy levels constantly to figure out things like that. Sounds like the life of a diabetic, testing his blood sugar every half hour. That's usually considered a downside.
  - Kadin 17y ago
    I have a friend who has diabetes and uses a glucometer. He doesn't test every half hour (more like a few times a day, maybe every 4-5 hrs?). The data is actually fairly interesting. I wouldn't want to have to poke myself in the fingers a few times a day to get it, but if there were a non-invasive way to do it, it'd be pretty interesting. You can learn a lot about how what you eat affects your body just by watching that number change over time.
    - Psyonic 17y ago
      I also have a diabetic friend, and yes, I was exaggerating. I suppose I should be careful, as its probably not obvious enough that everyone would realize I was. I agree the information is interesting, but the collecting is a huge hassle. That's my problem with this whole thing. If I go on a day-hike, I don't want to be pulling out my notebook constantly to report my energy levels. It kills the experience, makes it more about me than nature or the hike itself. As I said in another comment, if I could passively collect all this information, it'd be great to have, but I feel like the cost of collecting it outweighs its usefulness in most cases. But I'll certainly grant you that the equation varies per person.
rosshudgens 17y ago
I don't think it takes rigorous, time intensive application to improve oneself. Many of these "data trackers" take a few seconds a day. Write down some calories. Jot down sleep hours. Etc.
- Psyonic 17y ago
  But it does take attention, at least until it's a habit. In order to insure you actually do the steps after every meal, etc, you either need to be thinking about it all the time, or use some other device to remind you. Eventually, it'll be second-nature, but there's a considerable cost in the ramp-up period.
- patrickk 17y ago
  It's not the "few seconds" that's the problem, the problem is that it breaks the "flow" that you were in, such as switching tasks when concentrating hard or enjoying a jog or getting to sleep. The act of recording the data is quick but the mental jolt takes time to get over. This is why passively recording the data is the way forward. I myself ordered one of these: http://wakemate.com/ http://wakemate.com/ They're also a YC startup.
RyanMcGreal 17y ago
You might find it more interesting if you could access and analyze all the data buried in your daily affairs. :)
iamwil 17y ago
That's the problem with data. You really can't see the patterns when looking at it one by one, but when you look at it as a summary. Data analytics' value is in insight. The problem is insight is that it's surprise. If you already know what's in there, there's no surprise and hence no insight. If you don't think there to begin with, you aren't going to look and hence no insight. It only works if you THINK and SUSPECT something's in there, but don't know exactly what it is.

Gormo 17y ago

Collecting data gives you the ability to aggregate past events, look at them statistically, and uncover patterns that may be counter-intuitive or just not apparent when looking at each event independently. You can then use this knowledge to develop heuristics and rulesets that you can apply to better live your life. For example, maybe you discover that when you eat a banana, you get a surge of energy ~30 minutes later that lasts for ~1 hour. Now you know that when you need an hour's worth of energy, you can eat a banana a half-hour before. That's a pretty simple example, but if you analyze various aspects of your life, you can gain much better control over it.

thumper 17y ago
Another example that came up while I was testing the Zeo: their tracker asks how much caffeine you have after 3pm daily. While I was messing around with their graphs, I discovered a clear correlation between cans of soda and poor sleep the next night. That might seem "obvious", but it was a real surprise to me because I had never noticed any relation at all. At the time I was trying to stop soda at 6pm and I go to bed at midnight, so it was even more surprising that the effect was so long lasting.
_delirium 17y ago
I'm not sure there are no downsides, though, in line with the previous post's reference to obsessive-compulsive behavior. In some cases, I think more data gives you better control, but in others, I think you end up in a self-referential loop where you're spending your time meta-managing your life instead of actually doing things. Considering how popular cargo-cult self-help type things end up becoming, I can imagine this even reducing people's control over their lives, as they now have enough data to force themselves to follow the latest diet or productivity fad more completely, instead of making independent decisions unconstrained by matching up data against external "what you should do given the data" flowcharts. The title even hints at that: a data-driven life, i.e. what you do is determined by what the data says you should do.
Psyonic 17y ago
That's not simple at all. You'd need to be analyzing your energy levels constantly to figure out things like that. Sounds like the life of a diabetic, testing his blood sugar every half hour. That's usually considered a downside.
- Kadin 17y ago
  I have a friend who has diabetes and uses a glucometer. He doesn't test every half hour (more like a few times a day, maybe every 4-5 hrs?). The data is actually fairly interesting. I wouldn't want to have to poke myself in the fingers a few times a day to get it, but if there were a non-invasive way to do it, it'd be pretty interesting. You can learn a lot about how what you eat affects your body just by watching that number change over time.
  - Psyonic 17y ago
    I also have a diabetic friend, and yes, I was exaggerating. I suppose I should be careful, as its probably not obvious enough that everyone would realize I was. I agree the information is interesting, but the collecting is a huge hassle. That's my problem with this whole thing. If I go on a day-hike, I don't want to be pulling out my notebook constantly to report my energy levels. It kills the experience, makes it more about me than nature or the hike itself. As I said in another comment, if I could passively collect all this information, it'd be great to have, but I feel like the cost of collecting it outweighs its usefulness in most cases. But I'll certainly grant you that the equation varies per person.

rosshudgens 17y ago

I don't think it takes rigorous, time intensive application to improve oneself. Many of these "data trackers" take a few seconds a day. Write down some calories. Jot down sleep hours. Etc.

Psyonic 17y ago
But it does take attention, at least until it's a habit. In order to insure you actually do the steps after every meal, etc, you either need to be thinking about it all the time, or use some other device to remind you. Eventually, it'll be second-nature, but there's a considerable cost in the ramp-up period.
patrickk 17y ago
It's not the "few seconds" that's the problem, the problem is that it breaks the "flow" that you were in, such as switching tasks when concentrating hard or enjoying a jog or getting to sleep. The act of recording the data is quick but the mental jolt takes time to get over. This is why passively recording the data is the way forward. I myself ordered one of these: http://wakemate.com/ http://wakemate.com/ They're also a YC startup.

RyanMcGreal 17y ago

You might find it more interesting if you could access and analyze all the data buried in your daily affairs. :)

iamwil 17y ago

That's the problem with data. You really can't see the patterns when looking at it one by one, but when you look at it as a summary. Data analytics' value is in insight. The problem is insight is that it's surprise. If you already know what's in there, there's no surprise and hence no insight. If you don't think there to begin with, you aren't going to look and hence no insight. It only works if you THINK and SUSPECT something's in there, but don't know exactly what it is.