For code we have the term coder, as in, “he’s a great coder”, but what do we use when talking about data? datanaut, datar, data wrangler, data hacker, data geek …?
Suggestions (and votes) please in a comment or tweet! (@okfn or @rufuspollock)
Would also be nice to have equivalents for the many variations that code has: hacker, geek, codesmith, programmer …
Update: 14h in …
So far have the following list. Many of these are 2 word versions of form data + ‘something’. I personally have a preference for just one word (as in coder versus software developer …).
Single words (generally newly coined!):
- datasmith (x5)
- datamancer (x2)
- datar
- datanaut
- semanengineer (@rupertredington)
- datacist (@jluismarin)
- datonator (!) @leogaggl)
- datumologist
Two words
- data wrangler (x3)
- data geek (x2)
- data nerds (Hjalmar)
- data cruncher (Conrad)
- data juggler (Conrad – job description!)
- data artist (@psychemedia)
- data mechanic (@exmosis)
- data engineer (@Laura_B_James)
- data scientist
- data prospector (Francis Irving)
- data researcher (may be a bit different)
- data ninja (Ted Smith)
- data investigator
- data shepherd (Eric Hellman)
- data analyst
- spreadsheet monkey
Other (existing general word but possibly applicable here):
- curator
- statistician
- learner (Benny Daon)
- donor
Rufus Pollock is Founder and President of Open Knowledge.
Thought the generally accepted lingo was cruncher, ala data cruncher?
Although my job was advertised as a data juggler.
At DataMarket, we call ourselves “Data Nerds”.
Even had some shirts made with the slogan “Big Data Nerd”, see: http://twitpic.com/3yp3fm
:)
I like datasmith – partly because it would work well as a surname, should we want a new round of occupation-based names :) , mostly because it invokes a sense of forging useful things out of intransigent raw material
We have used the term Data Ninja
We’ve been toying with “data prospector”.
I’d love a more common word for this!
My job was advertised as ‘data researcher’ but I like to be an ‘investigator’.
A coder gives code, like a donor (Latin for giver) gives data (Latin for given). Therefore X = donor. @HoverBee
I think the term ‘curator’ captures the requirement well. A curator is literally someone who cares, and the push for Open Data requires people who care about the data – its quality, veracity, timeliness.
There is also a need for wranglers and statisticians – those who take the data and make it make sense to the greater public – but the data needs to be curated.
The only one of these I’ve actually heard used is “data wrangler” which has the virtue of being accurate. I sort of like “data shepherd” as well.
I think Datasmith is the one – will be using it as my new surname.
I can only really add Dataphile. This is a good question for the Quora community to have a stab at.
We need this role definition, but I think it has to be a bit broader – we need to find a word to describe someone who enriches DIKW – data, information, knowledge and wisdom.
My word would be
learnerand a great learner is someone who artfully enriches a given DIKW.This would not be popular, but surely it’s ‘clerk’?
Datumologist
In one of my old jobs, officially I was a “data analyst”, or more colloquially as “spreadsheet monkey”…
What about byte tuner
I propose term datasolver and datadelver (as in excellent @michelleminkoff series) and love DATA scientist as a concept for high end BIG DATA crunchies
Coder -> Dater
Hacker -> Miner
I like data miner, or byte master?
Have to enter this albeit a year late – with such a great conceptual brain storm having gone on – I’m going to talk about this on our blog space (which wasn’t around last year). The “Data Journalist” is the new news gatherer and we’re finding them in media everywhere. I guess in a company, a “Data-ite” might work or “Data-vangelist”or even “Dater” (as opposed to your “Datar”). That works especially well with your analogy of code … coder … data … dater ….
How about datician?
+1 datar. shorter and simpler is better!