[Sigia-l] data as information?

[T. Karsjens]

Promised myself I would not get into this, but here it goes...

Heisenberg uncertainty principle!

Data: That which is not observable.

Information: That which is observable.

Simple Example:  You are working on an application.  The fields on the
screen that the user can see are information.  It is observable.  The data
that went into computing those fields, is data, unobservable by the user
that can see only the fields on the screen.  The data that went into
computing those fields is information to the developers who can observe the
information.  The bits and bytes of the SQL code that stores that data which
is information to the developers that can observe it, is data.  The bits and
bytes of the SQL code that stores that data which is information to the
developers because they can observe it, is information to the people that
build the bits and bytes of the SQL code that stores...

Wait... I said simple...

Context.  

If a tree falls in a forest with no one to observe it, it is data.  If a
tree falls in a forest with someone to observe it, it is information.  If
you view that tree after it has fallen, even though no one was around to
receive the sound waves when it fell, it becomes information.

What will really bake your noodle is that this email was data before you
made it information.

Context.

There is no spoon.

Timothy Karsjens