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> This is a bad analogy. What is with programmers and their utter failure to understand an analogy, is it their literal mind? Is it the lack of socialization w

> This is a bad analogy. What is with programmers and their utter failure to understand an analogy, is it their literal mind? Is it the lack of socialization when growing up?. "Data is the new oil" just means that it is an important economical and political asset, that's it that's the extend of the analogy.Nobody is thinking about API degrees, viscosity, sulfur content, etc. For the purpose intended the analogy works. I am pretty sure you could come up with a better analogy (Data is a car, in true Slashdot style) but watch like not even 5 min later another guy will come up to pick your analogy apart with the most literal of interpretations. In my special hell I am doomed to take literature classes with a bunch of programmers.

JumpCrisscross 6y ago
> What is with programmers and their utter failure to understand an analogy, is it their literal mind? Is it the lack of socialization when growing up?. "Data is the new oil" just means that it is an important economical and political asset, that's it “Data is the new oil” is used by Reliance, an oil company. It may be you who isn’t thinking deeply enough. The analogy is bad because oil has a specific geopolitical history. That history was caused, in part, by oil’s nature as an extracted nonperishable commodity. Opining on policy with respect to consumer data, a non-extractive, perishable differentiated good, with reference to oil reserves is misguided. Oil also has a specific national history in India. One that involved the state investing in, protecting and buying through domestic middlemen. “Data is the new oil” is a different message from e.g. “data is the new gold.” It advocates porting a specific regulatory regime to India’s digital economy. One featuring politically-connected national champions.
- musingsole 6y ago
  ...the manner in which data have been handled by those who harvest it doesn't resonate with the history of the oil industry? If anything, the analogy is even more apt as the powers behind it are just as corrupt.
- cambalache 6y ago
  > “Data is the new oil” is used by Reliance, an oil company. So what?, it is used by thousand of companies. Hell, the guy who supposedly come up with it worked for Tesco, so he should have used meat or milk. > It may be you who isn’t thinking deeply enough. That's the point, you get the general sense of the idea, maybe chuckle at the marketking-hype speak and move on, you dont try to over-analyze if iron, land or tulips were a marginally better option. The rest of your comment will be sent to pseud's corner
ryandrake 6y ago
It’s such a common HN trope now, I’ve stopped even noticing it unless I’m looking fit it: User 1: A is like B User 2: Wrong! Here is a very detailed description of why A is not literally and exactly B, therefore A is not like B. You can find this pattern over and over in the comments section. If you ever want to generate a giant tree of pedantic, nitpicky responses here, simply post a car analogy, and let the programmers do the rest of the writing.

JumpCrisscross 6y ago

> What is with programmers and their utter failure to understand an analogy, is it their literal mind? Is it the lack of socialization when growing up?. "Data is the new oil" just means that it is an important economical and political asset, that's it “Data is the new oil” is used by Reliance, an oil company. It may be you who isn’t thinking deeply enough. The analogy is bad because oil has a specific geopolitical history. That history was caused, in part, by oil’s nature as an extracted nonperishable commodity. Opining on policy with respect to consumer data, a non-extractive, perishable differentiated good, with reference to oil reserves is misguided. Oil also has a specific national history in India. One that involved the state investing in, protecting and buying through domestic middlemen. “Data is the new oil” is a different message from e.g. “data is the new gold.” It advocates porting a specific regulatory regime to India’s digital economy. One featuring politically-connected national champions.

musingsole 6y ago
...the manner in which data have been handled by those who harvest it doesn't resonate with the history of the oil industry? If anything, the analogy is even more apt as the powers behind it are just as corrupt.
cambalache 6y ago
> “Data is the new oil” is used by Reliance, an oil company. So what?, it is used by thousand of companies. Hell, the guy who supposedly come up with it worked for Tesco, so he should have used meat or milk. > It may be you who isn’t thinking deeply enough. That's the point, you get the general sense of the idea, maybe chuckle at the marketking-hype speak and move on, you dont try to over-analyze if iron, land or tulips were a marginally better option. The rest of your comment will be sent to pseud's corner

ryandrake 6y ago

It’s such a common HN trope now, I’ve stopped even noticing it unless I’m looking fit it: User 1: A is like B User 2: Wrong! Here is a very detailed description of why A is not literally and exactly B, therefore A is not like B. You can find this pattern over and over in the comments section. If you ever want to generate a giant tree of pedantic, nitpicky responses here, simply post a car analogy, and let the programmers do the rest of the writing.