I don't know if this has been thought of before but, inspired by a work related conversation yesterday about OLAP and data mining where a colleague mentioned that he wondered what the data & trend analysts at his local supermarket would have made of the fact that he once found himself purchasing a shelf at 1.30 in the morning, the concept of subverting consumer statistics - for fun - appeals to me.
The idea of creating unpredictable blips in consumer analysis reports strikes a chord in both a naughty, mischevious way, but also in the sense that it attempts to kick-back at or subvert of the culture of mass consumerism we find ourselves in today.
Such activities would, of course, have to involve the organised purchasing of low cost items as an order to rush out and buy a Learjet may not generate much participation, but I can imagine flash-mob style messages going out accross a town, country or globally instructing participants to simultaneously purchase a single roll of sellotape, some bagels and pasta-shells, all at precisely 2.39am every tuesday for a month.
Then watch them trying to identify some lifestyle trend anlysis from that monster blip. OLAP schmolap.
The idea of creating unpredictable blips in consumer analysis reports strikes a chord in both a naughty, mischevious way, but also in the sense that it attempts to kick-back at or subvert of the culture of mass consumerism we find ourselves in today.
Such activities would, of course, have to involve the organised purchasing of low cost items as an order to rush out and buy a Learjet may not generate much participation, but I can imagine flash-mob style messages going out accross a town, country or globally instructing participants to simultaneously purchase a single roll of sellotape, some bagels and pasta-shells, all at precisely 2.39am every tuesday for a month.
Then watch them trying to identify some lifestyle trend anlysis from that monster blip. OLAP schmolap.