[Sigia-l] RE: Data vs. Information

[Boniface Lau]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: sigia-l-admin at asis.org [mailto:sigia-l-admin at asis.org]On
> Behalf Of Thomas Vander Wal
> 
>  
> On 1/6/03 10:03 PM, "Boniface Lau" <boniface_lau at compuserve.com>
> wrote:
> 
[...]
> > 
> > Looking down from the 64-thousand feet level, data and information
> > are clearly distinguishable. But as we descent closer and closer
> > to the ground level, the distinction becomes more and more
> > difficult to make.
> 
> Because much of Usability, Information Architecture, and
> user-centered design relies on it depends and blurry lines do we
> avoid them?  No.

Better yet, acknowledge the fact that reality is often not as clean,
tidy, or black and white as our mind would like it to be.

The concepts of "data" and "information" are just that - concepts. The
different, and somewhat overlapping, usages of those concepts is a
reality. The overlap means the line between those concepts are blurry
at best. Thus, if someone comes up with a clear line, we know it is
not an accurate reflection of the reality. To be effective at dealing
with the reality, I much rather use the blurry line than the clear
line.

What does it mean to use the blurry line? It means recognizing the
importance of context in presenting whatever to the users. One IA may
say I am presenting data; another IA may say it is information. Fine.
What matters is whether users have enough context to make sense of the
data/information. The rest is just angels on a pinhead.

Furthermore, those 'angels' can play havoc when communicating with
clients who most likely treat data and information as referring to the
same thing.


[...]
> When we have distinguishable patterns we have information and when
> we don't we have data.

When people look up to the sky, they see a cloud pattern. When they
look across the street, they see a long line of people.  Those
patterns of clouds and people are information and not data? If so,
such distinction between information and data is not very useful.


Boniface