Chris Heathcote observes that last.fm was looking to hire a “data griot”, although I think the position listing has been removed. I’m guessing the job involves data analysis, visualization, and storytelling about the results. I’d sign up for that gig!
The terms data science and data scientist seem like they might be heading for fad territory, but the demand for a particular combination of hard skills is definitely on the way up. I’m not sure how merging those talents with the artistic stylings of a real griot is advantageous in a commercial context, but with an explosion of massive data, I can see an expansion in creative opportunities.
In short, there’s a lot more room for guys like Jonathan Harris.