most people believe that the terms “data” and “information” are interchangeable and mean the same thing
but
there is a distinct difference between the two
???
Data is simply the inputs. You/Computer process these inputs and generate some meaningful insight and that is information.
For instance in the field of analytics, you get the list of people who visited a particular web site, you also get the date and time of their visit, which browser they used… All that are data. Later a person or a computer program goes through all that data and find out patters, such as which browser is used by most of your visitors, at what time of day you get the most visits… That is information.
Really open to all manner of subjective definitions! For me though…
Data = raw data.
Information = what you get when you analyse data.
The main difference between data and information is that data is raw material that is to be processed and information is the processed data.
You google and get this:-
Data vs. Information - Differences in Meaning. Data are simply facts or figures — bits of information, but not information itself. When data are processed, interpreted, organized, structured or presented so as to make them meaningful or useful, they are called information. Information provides context for data.
Its all about context and who you’re talking too.
Doesn’t matter what the data is, if the parties involved agree implicitly|explicitly to the meaning and usage of the information discussed.
Or should I say…
Doesn’t matter what the information is, if the parties involved agree implicitly|explicitly to the meaning and usage of the data discussed.