Re: [xml-dev] What is Data?

[Peter Hunsberger <peter.hunsberger@gmail.com>]

On Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 11:18 AM, Simon St.Laurent<simonstl@simonstl.com> wrote:
> Peter Hunsberger wrote:
>>
>> On Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 7:23 AM, Costello, Roger L.<costello@mitre.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>       What is Data?
>>
>> Data is information that lacks context.
>
> Or data is information fragmented to optimize logical processing, rather
> than assembled for human comprehension.

What do humans have to do with any of this?

I'm actually being somewhat serious here.  I often try to get the
people new to data modelling to think more "meta" by breaking it down
as:

- Information is data in context;

- Data can be local or global, private or shared, transient or
persistent, typed or untyped.  Anything that puts any constraints on
any of these dimensions is some form of context.

- One persons information is another persons data (substitute process
for person as needed).

One can also play with "Knowledge is information in context" and
iterate, but that starts to devolve into debates on AI or metaphysics
(depending on the audience) if you're not careful...

-- 
Peter Hunsberger