Chapter 6: THE DATA LITERACY DRIVING SCHOOL (full chapter, free excerpt)

I'm happy to present the sixth chapter from the book “The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories”.

I posted this chapter in seven sections in January and February 2021 and am now publishing it here as a single article so you can read it all in one place.

______________________________

CHAPTER 6: THE DATA LITERACY DRIVING SCHOOL

The reluctant student

You look over at your driving instructor and sigh. Why do I have to do this again? you think. Taking data taxis had always been fine before. This seems like it’s going to be a lot of effort, and for what?

Your company’s enrolled you on a mandatory data literacy driving course. For years, data employees have been paying to use other people’s data cars to get places, but after a series of wasted journeys and large-scale data car crashes, there has been a decision to educate everyone on how to drive. Someone realised that if people didn’t know how to drive a data car, they wouldn’t be able to effectively direct a data taxi driver to get the best out of their journey.

At this point, you’re pretty sure you’re never going to need to use these new skills that you’re learning. Taxis have always got you to where you needed to go in the past. OK, so the costs can add up, but they work, as long as you give them clear instructions.

Your cheeks flush as you remember that embarrassing time a taxi driver took you on a two-hour detour, charging you twice as much as the journey was worth, and you didn’t even realise. That’s why you were so high up the list of people to be trained. Ever since then, you’d been forced to stick to buses, until you’d obtained your data literacy driving license and shown that you know how to drive key work routes. Buses are slow and make lots of stops, but they’re cheap and get you from A to B, so you’re far less likely to get scammed or be involved in an accident, even if they do take longer.

OK, it’s got to be done. Let’s get on with this… You turn your head and smile nervously, as your instructor starts to talk you through the various alien-looking dials and instruments in front of you. As you sit there, brow furrowed as you try to grasp the new terms and instructions that you’re being bombarded with, it does make you pause to think: how is it that I’ve been driven around all my life and didn’t come to know any of this before? There’s so much to get my head around, do all taxi drivers really know all this stuff? Does it really take this much to do something as simple as driving down the road?...

?Discovering The Unknown Unknowns

The first thing your instructor talks you through is an overview of how everything works. To your relief, he doesn’t just ask you to start the engine straight away. He explains what things are, how they work, and key things to look out for when you get started. His explanations provide you with the framework of terminology that enable you to understand what he’s talking about when you get on the road and he’s instructing you on where to go.

There are a set of dials that are used to monitor how the car’s operating. The key ones tell you how much data fuel is in the tank, how many data revolutions the engine is making and what the car’s current data quality speed is. You learn that you need to keep checking these dials to monitor the performance of the car and to make sure you’re running it properly. You need to know if you’re about to run out of fuel; if the revs are too high or too low; and you need to keep an eye on the data speed so you don’t go too fast or too slow.

Next, you’re introduced to the data driving controls. The steering wheel enables you to direct the data car, pointing it down different data roads and up the insight alleys that you want to explore. Your data gear stick gives you control over the direction of the car and the gears in the engine, taking you up and down aggregation levels as your speed changes; and there are pedals that you use in combination with the gear stick to speed up or slow down. You also need to keep checking your mirrors to make sure you see other data cars to avoid collisions. The majority of data accidents are caused by other data cars with their own problems, which crash into other data cars that were absolutely fine before, scratching them up or bashing holes in them.

There are so many things to remember, and you’ve not even started the engine yet. Suddenly you have a newfound appreciation for the data taxi drivers. They may just provide a commodity service, but you’re also starting to see why understanding all these things might help you, even if you are just sat watching someone else drive. You’re going to be able to tell if they’re doing a good job or not. Are they checking their mirrors to keep you safe? Are they using their gears properly to run the car economically and get you places as efficiently as possible?

“Right,” says the instructor, “I think it’s time to give it a go for real. Make sure you’re in neutral and start the engine, just as I described, please.”

You take a breath and turn the ignition. The engine rumbles into life. Here we go…

The awkward first drive

It’s relatively easy for you to get the car to move forwards, although it feels a bit awkward at first. The car shudders and stutters a bit as your unsteady feet control the pedals, but fairly soon you find yourself moving cautiously forwards, eyes darting between the road and the mirrors, suddenly conscious of how much you need to be aware of as you navigate from the driving school’s car park towards the main road.

The instructor tells you to stop the data car at the entrance of the data driving school, before you get onto the road. You both sit in silence for a moment, surveying the scene before you. The driving school is on the top of a hill, which provides a clear line of sight over the sprawling spaghetti of roads and buildings that makes up Transaction Data City. You can see the mass of traffic clogging the streets below and, in the distance, can see the fast-moving cars that are speeding across town on the data highway. You can’t help but gasp, knowing that you’re going to be entering into this complex metropolis, responsible for getting through the packed streets to an as yet unknown destination.

“Something you need to know about data driving,” the instructor announces, breaking the silence, “is that it’s not just about moving, or getting to some random location.”

He shifts his weight in his seat and turns to look at you. “You see, it’s really important that you know where you’re trying to get to and how to get there in the most sensible way. This city is a very dangerous place. There are many routes that you can take, which will lead you to the same destination; but some are far slower than others, and some have unseen pitfalls that many a data driver has fallen down, never to be seen again.”

As if on cue, a dull explosion can be heard in the distance. A knowing smile spreads across the instructor’s face. “Ah. A great example of the kind of data dead-end that you don’t want to go down. Lots of time wasted and it’ll inevitably lead to bad decisions and bad outcomes for you and the data people you’re driving.”

You turn to look back at the urban labyrinth before you. “I thought this lesson was just about how to drive the car,” you exclaim.

“Well, that will get you so far,” chuckles the instructor, “but your company is paying for you to learn how to get somewhere useful, and ideally in one piece, not just to be able to drive around aimlessly, wasting their time and money. There’s got to be a point to your data journeys, because otherwise why are you travelling at all?”

You nod, understanding, but also realising that there’s even more to this than you’d bargained for.

“OK,” the instructor says as he nods towards a tall building in the distance. “We’re heading for your company’s HQ. It’s across town, so we’re not going to use the back roads because it’ll take too long. We need to head to the data highway. Do your checks and you can start when you’re ready.”

So you start to move again, shakily steering down the street, clunkily shifting gears and making slow progress towards your destination.

Your data instructor directs you at every turn, so you can focus on using the data car’s controls properly. You find that everything you’re doing requires thought and effort, as you mind gets used to the range of actions that you need to take to control and steer the data car.

Before long, you’ve reached your company’s headquarters and your first lesson is over. Your instructor guides you through a review on how your first drive went. “Every time you drive your data car, take the time to think about your journey. What went well and what didn’t? Did you choose the right route? Is there anything you’d do differently, next time? No matter how many times you drive, you can always learn and be a better driver. It’s keeping an open, learning mindset that will lead you to consistently successful journeys. Don’t ever become complacent. You never know what unexpected data car crash is around the corner, which will take you by surprise and force you to adapt. Stay alert, keep learning, and you’ll be ready to drive on your own in no time…”

The awkward first drive

It’s relatively easy for you to get the car to move forwards, although it feels a bit awkward at first. The car shudders and stutters a bit as your unsteady feet control the pedals, but fairly soon you find yourself moving cautiously forwards, eyes darting between the road and the mirrors, suddenly conscious of how much you need to be aware of as you navigate from the driving school’s car park towards the main road.

The instructor tells you to stop the data car at the entrance of the data driving school, before you get onto the road. You both sit in silence for a moment, surveying the scene before you. The driving school is on the top of a hill, which provides a clear line of sight over the sprawling spaghetti of roads and buildings that makes up Transaction Data City. You can see the mass of traffic clogging the streets below and, in the distance, can see the fast-moving cars that are speeding across town on the data highway. You can’t help but gasp, knowing that you’re going to be entering into this complex metropolis, responsible for getting through the packed streets to an as yet unknown destination.

“Something you need to know about data driving,” the instructor announces, breaking the silence, “is that it’s not just about moving, or getting to some random location.”

He shifts his weight in his seat and turns to look at you. “You see, it’s really important that you know where you’re trying to get to and how to get there in the most sensible way. This city is a very dangerous place. There are many routes that you can take, which will lead you to the same destination; but some are far slower than others, and some have unseen pitfalls that many a data driver has fallen down, never to be seen again.”

As if on cue, a dull explosion can be heard in the distance. A knowing smile spreads across the instructor’s face. “Ah. A great example of the kind of data dead-end that you don’t want to go down. Lots of time wasted and it’ll inevitably lead to bad decisions and bad outcomes for you and the data people you’re driving.”

You turn to look back at the urban labyrinth before you. “I thought this lesson was just about how to drive the car,” you exclaim.

“Well, that will get you so far,” chuckles the instructor, “but your company is paying for you to learn how to get somewhere useful, and ideally in one piece, not just to be able to drive around aimlessly, wasting their time and money. There’s got to be a point to your data journeys, because otherwise why are you travelling at all?”

You nod, understanding, but also realising that there’s even more to this than you’d bargained for.

“OK,” the instructor says as he nods towards a tall building in the distance. “We’re heading for your company’s HQ. It’s across town, so we’re not going to use the back roads because it’ll take too long. We need to head to the data highway. Do your checks and you can start when you’re ready.”

So you start to move again, shakily steering down the street, clunkily shifting gears and making slow progress towards your destination.

Your data instructor directs you at every turn, so you can focus on using the data car’s controls properly. You find that everything you’re doing requires thought and effort, as you mind gets used to the range of actions that you need to take to control and steer the data car.

Before long, you’ve reached your company’s headquarters and your first lesson is over. Your instructor guides you through a review on how your first drive went. “Every time you drive your data car, take the time to think about your journey. What went well and what didn’t? Did you choose the right route? Is there anything you’d do differently, next time? No matter how many times you drive, you can always learn and be a better driver. It’s keeping an open, learning mindset that will lead you to consistently successful journeys. Don’t ever become complacent. You never know what unexpected data car crash is around the corner, which will take you by surprise and force you to adapt. Stay alert, keep learning, and you’ll be ready to drive on your own in no time…”

Missing signs and potholes

Your next set of lessons is about dangers on the road and how to avoid them.

The first one surprises you: it’s about road signs. As you’re driving down a road that your instructor has taken you several times before, he asks you to look up and see if there’s anything that you can see that’s missing. You shake your head: it all looks the same as it’s always looked, to you.

“OK,” the instructor responds, “so if you’d never been down this road before, how would you know where you are?”

Then it hits you. There are no road signs, at all. Nothing to say what road you’re on, what the speed limit is, or anything. Then you notice there aren’t even any road markings. You’re astounded that you’ve never noticed it before.

The instructor chuckles at your reaction. “Never go down a data road without any metadata signs up, unless you’re with someone that really knows the area, because otherwise you’re going to get yourself lost. Transaction Data City is full of roads like this. The builders just didn’t bother putting any signs up, because they thought people would just know where they’re going. I guess, when this was just a small town, it didn’t matter so much, but now there are big areas where data people can get complete lost. I’ve heard about data people going missing for days, as they go round and round in circles and then end up re-appearing where they went in, no closer to their destination but very tired and frustrated from their rather unproductive adventure.”

“Why don’t the government put up new signs, if it’s such a problem?”

“Oh, yes, well there is a huge Meta-project to do just that, but once the builders have gone, it’s ten times harder to work out what each road should be called and where it leads. That’s why the project’s costing so much and taking so much time: each road needs to be properly surveyed and experts need to be built in to make sure the signs are right. There were past attempts to do this on the cheap, but it resulted in the wrong metadata signs being put up and people ended up going completely the wrong way: it was even worse than having no signs at all!”

You shake your head. Surely it’s obvious that signs should be put up when the road’s built; but then, it can’t be that obvious, if there are so many roads like this.

Your instructor asks you to go down a side road, to show you another common challenge. You find out what it is straight away: there’s a violent BANG as one of your wheels bounces over a pothole. You gasp and clamber to regain control.

“Careful,” your instructor advises, “you need to go slower down this road. There are lots of holes, where big chunks of the road are missing. It’s dangerous and can result in damage to your data car.”

“This is crazy,” you exclaim. “How’s anyone expected to drive down a road that has so many problems?”

“Well, there are some roads that you can’t drive down at all, as it turns out. They’re in such a bad state, they’re totally unusable. And yet, that doesn’t stop people trying to use them. It’s surprising, really, when it’s quite easy to see how poor the quality of the data road is, why people think they can still use it. Park at the side of the road over there for a moment, please.”

You do as you’re told and turn to hear what your instructor has to say next.

Being a responsible data driver

"Now,” your driving instructor continues, “you’ve come a long way since your first lesson. You can comfortably control a data car and have shown that you are developing good navigational skills. You also now understand some of the pitfalls that can result in you going down the wrong data insight alley or that can completely prevent you from progressing. There is one last, important lesson, which I’ve brought you to this sorry road to explain.”

You’re a bit taken aback by your instructor’s kind words. You know that you’ve been making good progress, but didn’t realise you were so close to being ready to get your license. “Thanks, that’s great to hear. What is your final lesson?”

“This final lesson is something that even many experienced data drivers never seem to grasp; and yet, it’s so important for everyone on the road, if we all want to be able to go on many successful data journeys across this great and complex city of ours. The thing is, if you are a data driver, you are a user of these data roads, and it’s in your best interest for the data roads to be in good condition.” He nods towards the poor quality of the road surface in front of you. Turning to look at you again, he continues: “If you find problems with quality of the data road surface, you need to report it to the Data Quality Council. You’re just a data driver, so you can’t fix any of these potholes yourself, but if you also don’t notify the council, they won’t know about the problems and won’t be able to fix them.”

“But don’t the council have their own people, who go out and find and fix problems with the roads?”

“Yes, they do,” your instructor confirms, “but the city’s so big, they don’t have enough people to keep an eye on everything that’s going on, so could easily miss some really major data road quality problems, unless responsible data drivers report them. By using the data roads, you need to become a steward of the data roads, yourself. If you, and all other data drivers, don’t take responsibility and don’t play their part, then you can’t complain when you find the roads are unusable and you can’t get places.”

“OK,” you nod, “that makes sense. How do I report a data road problem to the council?”

“Fortunately, it’s quite easy nowadays. A few years back, they realised that part of the reason no-one was reporting anything to them was because they hadn’t made it clear how to do it. There’s a website and an app that you can use, and the council are starting to put signs up that give a few other options, too.”

Driving to work

Two weeks after that final lesson, you pass your test and get your data literacy driving license. You’re provided with a company data car to drive and even offer some of your ex-colleagues lifts.

Within weeks, you’re driving all over the place. You’re running deliveries, helping senior management get places they’ve never been before, and haven’t had a single data car crash or wasted data journey.

You’re so productive, you get a promotion. Who would’ve thought that knowing how to drive a data car could make you so much more valuable to your company?

Congratulations! You’re now the Head of Data Driving Stewards!

_______________________________________________________________________

Lesson 6:

Data Literacy is like knowing how to drive. Mis-using data can result in a data car crash, so the better educated people are in how to understand and use data, the more value they will be able to deliver with it, in faster, more effective and safer ways.

_______________________________________________________________________ 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this chapter.

If you want to read more chapters from the book, please do check it out on Amazon:

• The Data Garden on Amazon.CO.UK
• The Data Garden on Amazon.COM

Thanks!