The Decline of Data
I do not know quite what to make of it, but people seem to have lost interest in online data. There is a consistent multi-year trend that shows a decline in online searches for "data". Interest is approaching half the level seen in 2004. At the same time, there has been a consistent increase in references to data in online news over the same period.
A similar, though more seasonal, trend is seen with the term "analysis": a decline in searches, but a steady increase in references in the news. And the formerly hot data analysis topic "datamining" has also seen a steady loss in interest in searches (and news).
My best hypothesis at the moment is that people are losing interest (or no longer need) to find primary information through data, and analysis, and datamining, and similar subjects because they are increasingly getting richer information fed to them through a media that increasingly uses "data" and "analysis" to support its reporting. A more pessimistic interpretation would be that people are increasingly less interested in, or capable of solving problems for themselves, and happy to be spoon fed. Take your pick.
