Recently Read: December 21, 2009

Recently Read is an OCDQ regular segment.  Each entry provides links to blog posts, articles, books, and other material I found interesting enough to share.  Please note “recently read” is literal – therefore what I share wasn't necessarily recently published.

Data Quality

For simplicity, “Data Quality” also includes Data Governance, Master Data Management, and Business Intelligence.

• Welcome to DQ Directions – In this blog post, Dylan Jones of Data Quality Pro formally announced the DQ Directions online conference, which will debut in Q2 2010, and will feature presentations from experts and industry thought leaders specializing in data quality, data governance, and master data management.
• Ways to 'Communivate' your Data Issues – In her Purple Cow of a blog post, Jill Wanless (aka Sheezaredhead) explains that ‘Communivate’ is a combination of the words communicate and innovate, and it means to communicate in an innovative way, which she does regarding the importance of data quality.
• ’Tis the Season for a Data Governance Carol – Part 1 and Part 2 – In his excellent two-part series, Rob Paller of Baseline Consulting uses a Dickensian framework to explain the importance of data governance and data quality – and the fact that there isn’t a simple framework to blindly follow for Data Governance.
• The “Santa Intelligence” Team – An excellent Christmas-themed blog post from Paul Boal, in which we learn that Santa does indeed have a Business Intelligence team.
• Data quality is for life not just for Christmas – In this Diary of a Marketing Insight Guy blog post, Simon Daniels reminds us data quality can be a gift that will keep on giving—if data quality management is built into the heart of an organization’s processes and operations.
• Finding a home for MDM – In his second post on the DataFlux Community of Experts, Charles Blyth examines where master data management (MDM) fits within your overall enterprise architecture.
• The Decade of Data: Seven Trends to Watch in 2010 – In his blog post on Informatica Perspectives, Joe McKendrick examines some up-and-coming trends that he predicts will shape the data management space in 2010.
• Are we ready for all this data? – In his blog post, Rich Murnane uses some recent news stories to ponder if even us experienced data geeks are really ready for the amount of data we're going to need to manage due to the unrelenting increases in data volumes.

Social Media

For simplicity, “Social Media” also includes Blogging, Writing, Social Networking, and Online Marketing.

• Why James Chartrand Wears Women’s Underpants – In this Copyblogger guest post, James Chartrand, who is an awesome writer and blogger, revealed that he is also—a woman writing under a male pseudonym.  Samuel Taylor Coleridge once wrote that “the truth is, a great mind must be androgynous.”  James will continue to teach me about writing and blogging.
• How to combine personal and professional online without pissing people off – Monica O'Brien, author of the new book Social Pollination, offers some sage advice on personal branding, explaining there is no way to separate our personal lives from our professional ones, and shares her thoughts on how to handle this common challenge.
• Seven rules of blogging from a legend of the craft – In his guest post on The Punch, Darren Rowse provides a list of seven great blogging tips, including building a foundation of helpful content and building a community.
• How to Promote Your Work – Chris Brogan explains that when using social media channels to promote your work, it’s really important that you are participatory in the social space, and he explains the basics of a simple presence framework.
• Should We Be Worried About Fast Food Content? – Copyblogger's Sonia Simone examines the bad assumptions underlying the concerns raised in Michael Arrington's recent blog post on TechCrunch: The End Of Hand Crafted Content.

Book Quotes

An eclectic list of quotes from some recently read (and/or simply my favorite) books.

• From Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk – “Your business and your personal brand need to be one and the same...Your latest tweet and comment on Facebook and most recent blog post—that's your résumé now...It's a whole new world, build your personal brand and get ready for it.”
• From A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink – “Empathy is neither a deviation from intelligence nor the single route to it.  Sometimes we need detachment; many other times we need attachment.  The people who will thrive will be those who can toggle between the two.” 
• From Connected by Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler – “Just as brains can do things that no single neuron can do, so can social networks do things that no single person can do...our connections to other people matter...most of all it is about what makes us uniquely human...To know who we are, we must understand how we are connected.”