Introduction
Christopher C. French
The term “Big Data” means different things to different people. For purposes of this discussion, it means both the collection of large amounts of data or information and the ability to analyze it in a meaningful way. As computers have become more powerful and software algorithms have improved, people’s ability to collect and sift through reams of data has dramatically improved. Indeed, computer programs that analyze data have gotten so good that 87% of the American population can be identified with just the person’s date of birth, sex, and the zip code in which the person lives.