Re: It don't mean a thing ...
Date: Wed, 02 Jun 2004 00:24:42 +0200
Message-ID: <40bd0220$0$563$e4fe514c_at_news.xs4all.nl>
x wrote:
[snipped parts, summary left:]
> mAsterdam wrote:
>><quote> >> Data on its own has no meaning, only >> when interpreted by some kind of data >> processing system does it take on >> meaning and become information. >></quote> >>Does it have a source? >>Is it bad?
>
> Let's see.
> If we call data the typeless binary representation of a fact in some
> computer memory, it has no meaning.
> If we call data the typed binary representation of a fact in some computer
> memory ("data" + "code"), it has some "meaning".
Hmmm. Is a different 'type' creeping in here? 'Type' as set of possible values would not yet imply meaning, IMHO. 'fact' is more crucial it seems - do you need the binary rep?
> If we call data the fact (that can be represented in some computer memory),
> then it has some "meaning".
That is what the same site says about information. I have seen several
definitions of information more to my liking, but let's keep focus, here.
> How can we tell apart data and information ?
Not necessary at all.
> We can choose to say data and information are the same thing.
Heh. Marketing guys do that all the time - if you can't beat them join
them.
> We can choose a definition of data that exclude meaning.
> We can choose to differentiate data and information by some other criterion.
Several:
(1) new data to the receptor.
(2) relevant to some decision or action.
> We can choose to differentiate meaning.
>
> Murphy law say that all of the above will happen (or already happened). :-)
In one system!
> Let's take an example.
> John and Mary are good friends.
> Paul, the father of Mary, doesn't like John and forbidded John to visit
> Mary.
> Ann, the mother of Mary, has nothing against John visiting Mary in her
> presence.
> So Mary and her mother decided that John can visit Mary when Paul is not
> home.
> They agreed to put a blue flower in the window when Paul is not home and any
> other flower or none when Paul is home.
>
> The fact that "there is a blue flower in Mary's home window" is data for
> Paul or anybody else except Ann, Mary and John.
> The same fact is (valuable) information for John.
>
> What is the meaning of "there is a blue flower in Mary's home window" ?
> This fact has a meaning for Paul ?
Nice example.
Yes it has meaning to Paul. What you are demonstrating here is that a
signs can carry different sets of data, and that some data is relevant
to decisions/actions.
Received on Wed Jun 02 2004 - 00:24:42 CEST