Re: [Phys-L] early Big Data

[bernard cleyet <bernard@cleyet.org>]

> On Nov 17, 2022, at 22:27, Alex. F. Burr via Phys-l <phys-l@mail.phys-l.org> wrote:
>
>
> I have an interest in Big Data because I was involved in an early use of Big Data.  Not as early as the Roman military use, but more connected with physics. I was connected with the creation of a large, for the time, collection of every x-ray wavelength measurement.

 I see, big data is lotsa data on a subject.  Well, mine is similar to Roman Military.  As a negotiator of the new union of the Staff Research Associates the Uni. of CA gave me an FD W/ the titles, pay, etc. of all the SRAs in the Uni.  So I loaded it in my Apple.  This was about 1990. and then I did a sort.  What amazes me even now is not that it required — I thought at first I’d have time to brew a coffee and then enjoy it.  I don’t remember exactly, but it was more than an hour — returning to what amazed is that it worked.  The only result I do remember is it revealed that a few of the thousands were underpaid.  During the next negotiating session I gave the names, etc. to the Uni's chief negotiator who immediately made good.  

No paper, but more converts to membership.  


bc   …..  didn’t know when he married she previously was the elementary school teachers’ union president, and head of the negotiation team.  


p.s.  Later when we affiliated with the CWA we became a closed shop.  Don’t know what the recent SCOTUS did to that.