That “80% of all data is geographic”- saying
Just recently I scanned through “Bringing Geographical Information Systems into Business” by David Grimshaw (Longman, 1994). The following sentence surprised me:
“Studies have shown that 90% of business data is geographical (Moloney e.a., 1993)”, page 69.
90%? I don’t have access to the Moloney article (my student pass from the library has expired, currently looking for a new one). But most of the time when I hear the statement, I hear “80%”. Honoring the Pareto principle: this is still the case at 80% of the Geo events I attend. Anyone with a good source or is it just a saying?
Personally I don’t use that 80%-statement, but have taken the following approach during recent lectures:
– Please imagine a person, an object, a phenomena.
– Now close your eyes and think of that person, object, phenomena for one minute.
– NOW: think of that person, NOT being in a certain place, NOT being anywhere….!
My point: we cannot even imagine a world where people, objects, phenomena do NOT have a place. Great times for spatial thinking!