what’s in a name

The name contextQ came to me after reading Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers. The author doesn’t come out and express this concept explicitly, nor does he use the term context specifically all that much. The essential conclusion that I got from the book is that simply knowing facts is frequently insufficient; you also have to know the context that frame those facts for them to become useful information. I’ve seen this often enough in the Business Intelligence systems I’ve implemented to recognize its importance.

About the name:

The basis for the name contextQ is that I wanted something that relates to Business Intelligence, but could also theoretically be used for other pursuits like knowledge management. In the B.I. world we differentiate “information” from “data” by defining “information” as “data with context” – hence the name.
The company name has 2 components, “context” and “Q”:
context from Latin contextus, to join together : com-, com- + texere, to weave;
  1. The part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and throw light on its meaning
  2. The circumstances relevant to an event or fact
I delight in the fact that the root of the word relates more to craft or art “weaving”. Although there is science involved in what I do, I do look upon it as a skilled craft more than anything. I also like the connotation that weaving implies a connection, which further implies two different components and parties that context connects.
Q Sense #1 – Quality
  1. An inherent or distinguishing characteristic; a property.
  2. Essential character; nature
  3. Superiority of kind
  4. Degree or grade of excellence
  5. quality as described in the book “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”
Q Sense #2 – Question
  1. An expression of inquiry that invites or calls for a reply.
  2. An interrogative sentence, phrase, or gesture.
  3. A point or subject under discussion or consideration.

One thought on “what’s in a name

  1. Great website – I would love to work with whoever is behind this website. Great intro to its founders and what they’re all about. Sorry I didn’t find this website earlier!

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