The internet makes it far far more efficient, but it didn't invent the collection of such records. This reminds me of a quote attributed to Joseph Stalin, "Qua

The internet makes it far far more efficient, but it didn't invent the collection of such records. This reminds me of a quote attributed to Joseph Stalin, "Quantity has a quality all its own." The collection of data is not new. However, the extraordinary amount of data now collected, and the ease with which those data can be cross-referenced or otherwise mined, create a phenomenon that seems qualitatively new.