Brown Motion

Numbers or data can convey fact or fiction.  Statistics as a branch of mathematics deals with collection and analysis of data.  Since the days of India's Gabbar Singh in 'Sholay', when the inspector chasing Gabbar asks that half his police go right, half go left and 'baki mere piche aao' (remainder follow me) there have also been many a joke written about this arcane science. Three statisticians went out hunting, and came across a large deer. The first statistician fired, but missed, by a meter to the left. The second statistician fired, but also missed, by a meter to the right. The third statistician didn't fire, but shouted in triumph, "On the average we got it!" So it is with statistics about cars.  Cars has been a hobby, area of interest or a profession for me - I spent eight years of my life in Motown, USA aka Detroit helping car companies and their suppliers improve their business processes using software. That was then.  This is now. As i...

I am contributing to it.  What I find amazing is that the big money is now in big data.  So the scam goes as follows. First create methods and tools to allow for a lot of people to spew out a lot of nonsensical data.  Then claim you have the magic bullets to harness all that big data.  Then claim that you can access the big data using weirdo sounding platforms like Hadoop. Then claim that using advanced SEO and Decision Scientists who would use analytics like a chef would use a spatula you can target the most valuable customers with the most relevant messages. Mining for information is more lucrative than mining for gold.  There is an inherent belief that all the data out there has nuggets and the big westward migration of the 1900s to pan for gold is now becoming the pan chewing PIO's (person of Indian origin) quest for the next IPO. In the process some of the established players are taking notice and offer the silver bullet of being a one-sto...