Data data a go go

I am sure by now must web savvy people are using or have seen Mint.com. Today Mint released a new site dedicated to providing insight into the massive amounts of data they collect from user accounts.  I love this type of data offerings, perhaps it is just an economist's love of data or perhaps it is my love for the possibilities this type of data presents.  I have often thought about how the data revolution will fundamentally change the way every business is organized and run.  Data like this is incredibly powerful and as more and more services move to the cloud this type of data will increasingly become available and usable to the average business owner.  I look forward to that day because I believe it will lead to the next leap in productivity.  The coming leap in productivity will increase the quality of life for many.

The question I find myself asking is; Can the data revolution be the technological shift the global economy requires to drag the Western economies out of the prolonged slump they are currently in? Not sure how to answer this but I believe data can and will increasingly drive logic/scientific based business decision which will lead to higher productivity.  This change will not be sudden so the impact on productivity, while a steady and consistent contributor, will not provide a dramatic productivity revolution similar to the mass adoption of IT.     Below I have provided links a few of my favorite data sites.

http://www.data.mint.com/

http://blog.okcupid.com/

http://www.nber.org/data/