[Year 12 IPM] Data vs Information

[Keith Richardson]

I like to use the term "Value Added" - so if this has happened from the
perspective of the users of the product, than data has been morphed into
information; Thus the 'truth' is in the eyes of the receiver, according
to their various needs.
Regards, Keith



On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 18:20:30 +1000, "Mike Brookes"
<mikeb at labyrinth.net.au> said:
> Hi Peter et al
> Not if you use my first definition :-)
> 
> Just because information is not useful does not mean that it is not 
> information.
> 
> (how much of the information that you gain at a staff meeting do you 
> find useful - oops sorry boss just kidding)
> 
> Just because data is collated and sorted and summarised does not make it 
> more than data, however it is data that would make it easier for the 
> reader to gain more information.
> 
> The confusion bought about by the hijacking of these terms is because a 
> so called "Information Processing" system does not process information - 
> it processes DATA. Its purpose is to gather, process, store and display 
> the data in a form that makes it easier for PEOPLE to interpret and gain 
> understanding (information) about a thing or situation.
> 
> Mike Brookes
> Chief cook and bottlewasher
> Copperfield College
> 
> Peter Ruwoldt (Wrk) wrote:
> > What is information to one person is data to another. (aka - one 
> > person's garbage is anothers treasure)
> > Consider the scenario of a person from the health commission asking 
> > students to complete a health survey.  The fact that an individual 
> > student smokes is not useful to the person from the health commission.  
> > Sure they are concerned that a youth chooses to smoke.  The fact that 
> > YOU as an individual smokes is going to be useful information to your 
> > parents but not the health commission.  When they gather all of the data 
> > and find out that it is mainly 14-19 year old females that smoke they 
> > have some information that they can use which will helpful in better 
> > targeting their quit campaign.
> > Now we can weave drug education into information technology - that's 
> > called value adding.
> > Cheers
> > Peter
> 
> snip
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Keith Richardson
IPM List Moderator
Head of ICT, Leibler Yavneh College
Elsternwick
Ph: 03.9528.4911
k.richardson at yavneh.vic.edu.au