[ISM3 Users] Tuesday Insight: Data, Information and Knowledge

[Vicente Aceituno]

Dear All,

Data, Information and Knowledge are as distinct as strongly linked.

Digital Data are numeric values that support information, while
information is something that has meaning for us. This is the reason
it is possible to compress data rendering the same information (think
compressing a digital image from raw to jpeg format). The amount of
data is different in both cases, while keeping the same amount of
information.

Shannon's definition of infomration says that there is more
information the more:
- Quantity of data.
- Utility of the data.
- Surprise of the data.
- Improbability of the data.

For information to have meaning it has to be expressed in a syntaxis
we can understand. Meaning, suprise, utility and improbability are so
difficult to measure, the quantity of information is normally measured
by the minimum quantity of data necessary to express that information.

Compression algorithms try to express information with the least data
possible. So to compare the quantity of information from two sources
that use the same syntax, we can compress both and compare the
quantity of data.

With information using different syntax (a text description and a
photo) that comparison is not possible.

Knowledge is beyond information in terms of value and difficulty to
define. I would say that knowledge is a model with the objects, states
of those objects, behaviour, relationships between them and rules thas
govern the structural and dynamical relationships among them.
Knowledge enables explaining why things are the way they are, making
predictions about what will happen if certain conditions concur, and
making discoveries that further refine the model. Normally these
models are contained in brains, while some inroads have been made in
the field of artificial intelligence and expert systems to handle
knowledge.

Some of you might have some knowledge of sports, mathematics, history,
literature and even information security.

Note that even factoid filled knowledge areas like sport are still
rich in "hard knowledge", if you disagree ask any coach.
Most organization value more their knowledge than their information,
just as they should. That is why we have patents, and that is mostly
why we have secrets.

So, please remember that when we talk in this list about information security we
*don't* mean data security.

Sometimes, but not often, the information in our organizations is
knowledge-rich.
(as I hope ISM3 is, for you!) :)

My best

Vicente