‘Data is neutral’, posted someone on social media in 2022. It triggered a conversation, which I was just reminded of. One example was the Exif data of a photo.
Data without any interpretation could be neutral, I thought. Except, as soon as data is analysed and becomes information, it looses neutrality. The Exif contains a lot of information which can be interpreted in many ways. I made a mind map, which I just found in my photos.
But again, is data neutral? I focused on the boundary of the data as a static situation. The data as given. However, who is collecting the data can influence the numbers and the opinions given. An algorithm between collecting and recording data could colour the data (is that even a saying in English? It is in Dutch.).
What interpretation could there be? Maybe less precise in location, as a standard setting chosen by the developers, to save money? Not recording location, chosen by the photographer, not to give away locations? What more is possible?
So is Exif neutral as data?
