So what is data mining? Consumers worry

Thanks to Daniel Lee for posting to the SLA Toronto discussion list the MRIA press release (www.mria-arim.com) pointing out that consumers support market research but are leery about data mining.  I just got back from MRIA's most interesting Business Intelligence Conference 2006 (where I had the privilege of moderating a panel); I was riveted when Steve Mossop presented the findings described in the press release.  Consider that "data mining" may be thought of in two ways:  One is the watching for patterns of activity without regard for individual identities (think traffic volumes on a toll road); another could be the tracing of an individual's activities (think when and where did vehicle X enter and exit the toll road).  I suspect respondents to the MRIA study must have had the latter perception - which is unfortunate.