Human life is getting easier and easier thanks to the blessings of technology. As the digital data produced by technology are processed, lots of digital information is obtained, but in this process trust appears to be falling behind information.
Yakup Bayrak
Paribu Advisory Board Member
The ambitious demand for information, and particularly the most up-to-date information is pompously called FOMO (fear of missing out). However, in reality people are laying hands on information greedily, and they consume it till they explode, but they can never satisfy their hunger for trust.
It would not be unwise to claim that different from the conventional approaches to production, exchange, processing and protection of digital information, this new approach can remove the obstacles against placing trust in information whenever blockchain is a matter of question. If today’s trust depends on communication inside and outside the corporation, financial reporting and the transparency of individual and corporate intentions, we can say that blockchain is strong enough to respond to any trust issue in whatsoever form it appears. Plus, it can do so regardless of the sector the organization in question is operating in…
“We can design trust, too”
When we set out with the idea that “We can design trust like we design anything”, we have to accept that the opportunity cost of “designing trust with blockchain” is rather high because the blockchain applications related to Bitcoin and the financial sector shake the foundations of the existing global monetary system. The reason for this is simple: Despite the revolution caused by blockchain in the financial sector, the founders of the monetary system still do not want the trust already placed in the current monetary system to shift towards a new system. This tension between traditional and new approaches creates a sort of confusion further preventing people from perceiving the opportunities, contributing more to their anxiety and stopping new and reliable financial systems from emerging.
Let’s look at the issue from another perspective to be more clear. Imagine we are talking about the health sector, not the financial sector, which is the focus of blockchain. Then think about the current system which we are devouring every single day with a big appetite.
E-pulse, health data are being centralized
Today, we have a very promising application run by the Ministry of Health, which is e-Pulse system.
This application is defined as follows on its official website:
“E-Pulse is an application through which citizens and health professionals can reach the health data obtained from health institutions through the Internet and mobile devices. E-Pulse is a personal health record system which enables you to manage all your health information and reach your medical resume from one single point no matter which health institution you have been examined or treated at. Through e-pulse, doctors can evaluate the health records you have submitted in person, but they can evaluate your information within a certain time frame and limited authority. This increases the quality and speed of diagnosis and treatment and helps establish a strong communication network between you and your doctor. As the largest and most comprehensive health information infrastructure of the world, e-pulse is safe and accessible online.
So, Turkey has already established a system that centralizes information in the health sector which can feed all health stakeholders. The most popular visual reflection of this huge data operated by diverse actors is “Turkey’s Daily Coronavirus Table”.
Turkey’s Daily Coronavirus Table 14 May 2020
Total Number of Tests: 1,508,824
Total Number of Cases: 144,749
Total Number of Deaths: 4,007
Total Number of Intensive Care Patients: 963
Total Number of Infected Patients: 508
Total Number of Recovered Patients: 104,030
Today’s Number of Tests: 34,821
Today’s Number of Cases: 1,635
Today’s Number of Deaths: 55
Today’s Number of Recovered Patients: 2,315
Questions about the table
Now, let’s try to examine the questions consulting official sources and the information in the table:
- “Today’s Number of Tests”: Does it refer to the number of tests done today or to the number of potential cases tested today?
- “Today’s Number of Cases”: Does it refer to the number of cases whose tests were done before but test result proved to be positive today or does it refer to the number of cases which were detected and tested today with a positive test result?
- “Today’s Number of Deaths”: Does it refer to the number of deaths whose test result proved to be positive or does it refer to the number of deaths who were suspected of COVID-19 but had no test done or had a negative test result?
- “Today’s Number of Recovered Patients”: Does it refer to the number of patients who were discharged from hospital today or does it refer to the number of patients whose test result proved to be negative after today’s test but who are still in hospital?
- What time frame does the most important grouping item of this report, namely “Today” cover?
As you see, we can keep asking endless questions. It is evident that the only factor which matters for the reliability of information is its being processed and circulated transparently, isn’t it? Transparency affects the reliability of information regardless of the intentions of those who share it. It can even change the result.
Now, let’s assume that blockchain is used in the centralization of e-pulse data. Imagine the transparency of the information that can appear in this way. Do you think the Corona table would remain the same?
The consequences of COVID-19 can be evaluated from many perspectives, be it political, economic, sociological or psychological. What matters is to evaluate data independently of the intentions of the source. People are always anxious and they are longing for trust. However, when these anxious people-not the strong advocates of blockchain- all share the desire to evaluate information regardless of the intentions of the source, then we will all accept that there really is a way to trust in information and design trust.
Bu içerik en son 26 October 2022 tarihinde güncellenmiştir.
