Big data holds the promise of harnessing huge amounts of information to help us better understand the world. But when talking about big data, there's a tendency to fall into hyperbole. It is what causes contrarian observers to write such tweets as "Big Data, n.: the belief that any sufficiently large pile of s—- contains a pony." Let's deflate the hype.
1. "Big data" has a clear definition.
The term "big data" has been in circulation since at least the 1990s, when it is believed to have originated in Silicon Valley. IBM offers a seemingly simple definition: Big data is characterized by the four V's of volume, variety, velocity and veracity. But the term is thrown around so often, in so many contexts — science, marketing, politics, sports — that its meaning has become vague.