In this session we will investigate what Big Data really means, and more importantly - what it doesn't mean. What makes Big Data different than any other data? What makes Big Data challenges different than the same old challenges we had 30 years ago? Together, we will perform an honest, inquisitive, and enlightening investigation of what Big Data really is, it's origins, and how it evolved over the last decade. We will use history, analytics and logic to dissect the beast, and expose it for what it really is. Why should you care? The Big Data hype is holding you back from doing what is really important with data - getting value out of it. Making sense of it. Vendors, organizations, and architects have become so obsessed with the 'Big Data' fad, and too many either lost sight, or no longer have the resources to pursue their real goals. In this session I will plea to your reasoning, critical thinking, and plain common sense, to wake up and shout with me "The Emperor has no cloths!!!" "This is Mass Madness, You Maniacs", Howard Beale (Network, 1976). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPNBm4xv000