Dataclysm by Christian Rudder
7.5 out of 10Online data can be aggregated to enhance anthropology:
Google uses search patterns to anticipate the severity of flu season. People witness Twitter mobs; such as the one that killed Justine Sacco's career while her plane was airborne. If an online dating profile contains the phrase "sense of humor" it is unlikely to belong to an Asian guy. Sites visited and social media connections suggest that about 5% of American men are gay. That 5% appears constant across the country, even though densities of openly gay men vary.
As the internet ages, horizontal studies could be conducted across time--including the effects of lost privacy.