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In Kieran Healy’s “Using Metadata to find Paul Revere”, we are introduced to the Network Analysis. Without any conversation data, but only using metadata such as organizations that each individual belonged to, one can illuminate connections between people and organizations. To take this one step further, one can use these connections and correlations in order to create a conclusion based on two different people or organizations within the dataset. One thing about network analysis is how reliant it is on assumption or bias? In other words would a network analysis of two hundred and sixty people living in the colonial Boston area be of any use without knowing that Paul Revere was a war hero. I would argue that the correlations and conclusions drawn from network analysis are only helpful in relation to prior knowledge or a data point that acts as a point of contention.

That being said, I still believe that this technique is useful however it raises concerns over the accuracy of our predetermined notions of what is wrong and right. If we think about using Network Analysis to fight terrorism, one could easily see how this model would feed off our preconceived notion of what a terrorist looks and acts like and as a result lead to racial profiling on a large scale.

I found it interesting how SJ related Network analysis to our daily lives. I agree with SJ in how often we use social media to provide us with metadata about our piers without ever talking to them. It is interesting to see how we use this metadata to form conclusions about people, categorize them, or befriend them all based upon information on their profiles. The way in which we see new people is changing which is another reason why this type of network analysis is extremely interesting.