Re: Data vs. Information
- From: Michael Moore <michaeljmoore@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: chet.justice@xxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 19:47:07 -0700
Information is that which informs. It could be data, or it might not be. The
fact that the button in the upper left corner of my window is red (mac)
'informs' me that this is the button to push in order to close the window.
Something that informs me, might not inform you at all. So, in order for
something to be information, there must be an observer. Two observers of the
same data might both derive different information. Data are symbols which
have the 'potential' to inform.
Mike
On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 9:36 PM, chet justice <chet.justice@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I recently tried to make a case for
> views<http://www.oraclenerd.com/2009/09/case-for-views.html>,
> in the last line of the post I wrote:
>
> Records in a table typically constitute data. Tables, joined together, in a
>> view, tend to *turn that data into information.*
>>
>
> A very good friend and mentor who has like 27 masters degrees took umbrage
> with this statement. He said that data is information.
>
> While I don't necessarily disagree with him, I tried to frame it in the
> context of a database. I've always been told, or read, or heard, that a
> database stores data and from that, you get information (in the form of
> queries, reports, etc).
>
> Am I off my rocker here? Am I misinformed? Or just misspeak?
>
> More than anything I think it was more of a theoretical discussion, but I
> have enough respect for this individual to give it further thought?
>
> Anyone have an opinion or links on the subject?
>
> chet
>
> --
> chet justice
> www.oraclenerd.com
>
>
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