SV: [Sigia-l] RE: Data vs. Information

[Gunnar Langemark]

About measure, smallest unit.
Quotes from Thomas' and ed's posts below:

Thomas' post reminds me of the definitions I ran into while studying
semiotics, media and communication. Makes sense to me.

>In a formal sense, a collection of data points create information and a
>collection of information can create knowledge.  Data alone is not
>information, but a collection of data points do create information.
>
>Context can be used as a data point to help give understanding to other
>data points, which creates information.  Metadata helps provide context
>too.

Ed' You challenge my view of things:

>After all if it is something, you should
>be able to measure how much you have.

I tend to disagree. It would be nice if everything real is also measurable,
only 'positivists' believe that I think.

About the smallest piece of information (the unit of measure):

>dig up, but I like infon.
>
>INFON has that wave-particle twang
>suggesting it may be a fundamental,
>required, object in the universe...
>a bit string in context that holds
>it all together.

The idea reminds me of the discussions in semiotics about the smallest unit
of "meaning" - I don't think they reached a verdict yet!
Also I would be cautious to adapt a "pseudo-scientific" rhetoric in order to
give the idea/theory some clout! After all it's not allways the science of
nature that hold the truth.

Before we dig the ditches and start a flamewar, I would like to remind us
all (myself not the least) that in Europe we have a tradition of calling the
humanities names like "Geisteswissenshaft" meaning something like "science
of spirit/mind" - which suggests to me that I may be overreacting to your
suggestion.

Happy Newyear still

Gunnar