[Sigia-l] RE: Data vs. Information

[Thomas Vander Wal]

On 1/9/03 10:11 PM, "Jim Kauffman" <jkauff at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Added to the iawiki, as requested:
> 
> "Data is something a computer understands, which may or may not be readable
> by someone who doesn't know binary/octal/hex/etc. Information is something
> humans understand, whether it comes from the Internet, a newspaper, your
> cousin Joe, or a Donald Rumsfeld press briefing on CSPAN. The usefulness of
> the information is determined by context and subjectivity. Information that
> a comet will collide with Earth in three hours and wipe out all life forms
> is probably useful for every human. Information that a man in Gabon was
> slightly injured when he was hit by a car is probably useful to the man's
> family, the driver, and possibly some Gabonian lawyers, but not to the rest
> of us who read about it."
> 
> -Jim K.

I like that.  

ATB,
Thomas

-- 
www.vanderwal.net

The future is mine, not Microsoft's