A new article showed up in Fortune today called “Data scientist: The in tech” by Michal Lev-Ram where she states:
“Data scientists have been a fixture at online companies like Google (GOOG) and Amazon (AMZN) for years. But these days organizations as diverse as Wal-Mart (WMT) and Foursquare are hiring computer science experts who can analyze all their data and provide intelligence that leads to better business decisions or new products. At Bitly, the URL-shortening service, for example, chief scientist Hilary Mason is helping the company package some of its massive volume of data into a measurement tool that Bitly customers can use to track how their content is faring online.”
I am really excited that “Data Scientists” are starting to get a lot more attention as of late and the enthusiasm for data (sorry just had to use it…) is growing all the time. What makes these stories even more interesting is that as fast as journalists are trying to spot the trend, the data scientists and others close to the field(s) are trying to describe really what is a “Data Scientist”. There are some different viewpoints on the idea still that “Data Science” is anything new at all but really a blend of already well defined fields like Computer Science, Statistics, Hacking (I know not really a field, but a skillset) and even Mathematics. For a good reference see Hillary Mason’s post ”The Data Science Venn Diagram”The bigger impact that these newly discovered “Data Scientists” have in the short term can easily dictate how big of an impact on the field and its future. If you look at jobs for “Data Scientists”you will find a nice list of employers trying to fulfill there needs.I surely hope we don’t stay the “hot new gig” in tech and go on to sell out stadiums. 
Joshua Burkhow
Joshua is working to become a Data Scientist with focus on Analytics, Big Data, Machine Learning, and Statistics. His passion for Data and Information are second to none. He is a certified IBM Cognos Expert with more than 10 years experience in Business Intelligence & Data Warehousing, Analtyics, IT Management, Software Engineering and Supply Chain Performance Management with Fortune 500 companies. He has specializations in Analytics, Mobile Reporting, Performance Management, and Business Analysis.
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