Trigger
Recently (ca. 10/19/2013) I read following article in the online MIT Tech Review titled “Crowdsourcing Mobile App Takes the Globe’s Economic Pulse”. I think, the title is a bit misleading and does a disservice to the import of the story.
Here is the opening paragraph of this article:
“A startup pays people around the world to log prices [with an app on their smartphone] in their local stores each day, offering a real-time way to track how economies are doing.”
From Government To People Statistics
For decades if not longer, the collection and presentation of statistical data was a domain of Western governments, not any longer it seems.
We have already observed that private enterprises (e.g. Weather Channel, Weatherbug, Accuweather) can deliver a high quality and timely weather conditions information weather forecast etc. (latter still with the help of NOAA, I believe).
We also know that ADP (a private payroll processor) delivers monthly employment reports comparable to what the federal government offers, perhaps not in quite the same depth.
Why should not everyone become a statistical data collector with the help of small fully equipped computers?
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