---
title: "Design for Data II"
date: 2004-11-05
author: "Richard MacManus"
categories:
  - name: "ReadWriteWeb"
    url: "/category/readwriteweb.md"
tags:
  - name: "2004"
    url: "/tag/2004.md"
---

# Design for Data II

Quick follow-up on [my post from last night](https://web.archive.org/web/20050213045429/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/002402.php). Over the past week [James Enck](https://web.archive.org/web/20050213045429/http://eurotelcoblog.blogspot.com/) has been writing a series of posts about ‘analyst blogging’. Ross Mayfield called it a [“blog-based research model”](https://web.archive.org/web/20050213045429/http://ross.typepad.com/blog/2004/10/blogbased_resea.html) and [I wrote about it too](https://web.archive.org/web/20050213045429/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/002390.php). Now to be honest I’m not too sure what a “sell-side analyst” is in the investment industry, but what James is writing about is relevant to me both as a self-described web technology analyst (i.e. in my career) and as a *topic* in that field to analyse.

[James’ latest post](https://web.archive.org/web/20050213045429/http://eurotelcoblog.blogspot.com/2004/11/this-is-starting-to-take-over-my-life.html) touches on the ‘design for data’ meme that I’m exploring currently. James said:

“The point of departure for this whole debate was my view about **how changing information flows may affect the industry which employs me**, and whatever shapes the new information flows to, and between, investors take (centralized, decentralized, information darknets), the outcome for the brokers may be unchanged – marginalization, if they don’t try to reposition their research products to be more relevant.”*(emphasis mine)*

I highlighted the bit that strikes me as being very important – networked information flows are **changing rapidly** and this is affecting a range of industries. From sell-side investment analysts to marketers to KM consultants to underemployed web technology analysts – and many more.

I’m interested in your thoughts on all this – but please comment [here](https://web.archive.org/web/20050213045429/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/002402.php) on my post from last night: [Design for Data part 1](https://web.archive.org/web/20050213045429/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/002402.php).

*Originally published on ReadWriteWeb ([archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040018/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/002409.php))*