Quite The Kerfuffle

The dustup that led Climate Corporation to cancel its partnership with Tillable was heavy with assumptions, misinformation and emotion. It spurred our cover story, so trusted advisers can serve as exactly that—trusted resources for farmers as they navigate a digitally enabled world. 

The pace at which we are creating data is accelerating. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2020 the entire digital universe is expected to reach 44 zettabytes–that is 40 times more bytes than there are stars in the universe. 

There’s irony in how Twitter users were crying foul on the social media platform while simultaneously sharing lots of data with their cell phone providers, Twitter and any other apps to which they grant access (knowingly or not). This includes their location and app usage, not to mention the personal content they voluntarily post. 

And there’s the rub. What do we understand about how we are generating and providing data via the technology tools we use?

These tools can make life easier, and they can help us make more money, but it’s the risk and reward that need to be weighed and understood. 

Just as farmers were convinced a Tillable marketing letter was informed with FieldView data, there are anecdotes of eavesdropping Alexas. Or the display ad on Twitter or Facebook that hits just a little close to the bull’s-eye of what you were just talking about out loud.

What I am advocating for is that we are all a bit more aware of the digital footprint we are creating and what we need to be protecting.