What does "data mining" mean?

[underpants]

Probably not what you thought it meant. It appears that the definition is being manipulated.


NYT AP online
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Sept-11-Hijackers.html
Two military officers, Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer and Capt. Scott Philpott, contend that a unit code-named ''Able Danger'' used data mining -- searching large amounts of data for patterns -- to identify Atta in 2000. Shaffer has said three other Sept. 11 hijackers were also identified.

[ihaveaquestion]

1. Seems like a reasonable definition to me.

What's wrong with it?

[underpants]

3. Up until now it has been mostly used to describe prewar intel

as in "The Bush administration data mined intelligence for anything that would support their claims"

read:Cherry picking

[ihaveaquestion]

5. The Bushies use whatever term gets them what they want.

The definition of the term is correct. Don't know whether they should rather have said "Cherry picking."

[TwilightZone]

2. Well, that pretty much is the definition of data mining.

From a Google search: http://www.thearling.com/

Data Mining, if you haven't heard of it before, is the automated extraction of hidden predictive information from databases.

[jsamuel]

4. slightly off topic

I will just let him say it.

"Every time I've talked to the Army they've said tell the truth. There have been other conversations that I have had with other elements of DoD, and I think you all have seen some of this in the press where there was a whisper campaign and some other not so subtle means of dissuasion -- kind of put out there to wave people off this." --Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer (emphasis mine)

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, does want to know more about the Able Danger unit. He has asked the FBI to hand over all information related to it.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. No. It's Consistent With The Way I've Been Using For 25 Years

The Professor