data, information and knowledge three central concepts within informatics

Data, Data, Information and Information and

Knowledge Knowledge Three central concepts within Three central concepts within

informaticsinformatics

© Per Flensburg 2

My backgroundMy background

13 years at Lund university13 years at Lund university 10 years at Copenhagen Business 10 years at Copenhagen Business

SchoolSchool 6 years at Växjö university6 years at Växjö university Ideal: Maxium user influenceIdeal: Maxium user influence Strong philosophical interestStrong philosophical interest Certain tendencies to provokeCertain tendencies to provoke

© Per Flensburg 3

Contact informationContact information

Tel: +46 470-708925 (work)Tel: +46 470-708925 (work) +46 46-211 01 26 (home)+46 46-211 01 26 (home) [email protected] (best!)[email protected] (best!) http://www.msi.vxu.se/~per/ (homepage)http://www.msi.vxu.se/~per/ (homepage) OBS: No cellular phåne!OBS: No cellular phåne! This presentation can be found on my This presentation can be found on my

homepage (homepage (http://www.msi.vxu.se/~per)http://www.msi.vxu.se/~per) : pkt : pkt 19 ”Presentations”19 ”Presentations”

© Per Flensburg 4

DataData

Data is symbols without meaning for Data is symbols without meaning for instance , knbx, #€5, ±|6 S, 31, instance , knbx, #€5, ±|6 S, 31, fokularin, Härlanda, november, fokularin, Härlanda, november, prisonprison

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InformationInformation

If we put data into a syntax, a If we put data into a syntax, a structure, we get informationstructure, we get information

Ex: “The 31st November 2001 there Ex: “The 31st November 2001 there was 42 focularines inprisoned in the was 42 focularines inprisoned in the prison of Härlanda. prison of Härlanda.

The same data can be put into The same data can be put into different structures. There is a one-different structures. There is a one-many relation between data and many relation between data and information.information.

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ExempelExempel

05

1015202530354045

1:e 15:e 20:e 31:e

Oktober

November

December

Antal fokulariner i Härlanda fängelse

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KnowledgeKnowledge

Information put into a context can Information put into a context can be interpreted to knowledge by a be interpreted to knowledge by a human being human being

The same information can be put The same information can be put into different contexts and into different contexts and interpreted differentinterpreted different

The same information in the same The same information in the same context can be interpreted different context can be interpreted different by different people.by different people.

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Example (DN)Example (DN)

Prisons Focularins Thievs MurderersKumla 3 5 15

Härlanda 42 30 5

Malmö 6 45 12

In a big newspaper we find

Tabell 2. Status of prisons 31/11 2001

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Exemple (Anticimex Exemple (Anticimex journal)journal)

Prisons Foculariner Traps PoisonKumla 3 5 15

Härlanda 42 30 5

Malmö 6 45 12

This syntax is the same as in the previous picture

Tabell 2. Status of prisons 31/11 2001

In a journal from a rat extinktion company we find:

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Interpretation vs Interpretation vs knowledgeknowledge

In the two examples the information In the two examples the information is interpreted different even if both is interpreted different even if both structure and data is the same.structure and data is the same.

But since we don’t what But since we don’t what “focularines” are we get no “focularines” are we get no knowledge.knowledge.

But we get some sort what-ever-it-is, But we get some sort what-ever-it-is, at least more than the pure data.at least more than the pure data.

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But what is a But what is a ”focularine”?”focularine”?

It is a member of a catholic secular It is a member of a catholic secular monastery, which should spread the monastery, which should spread the knowledge about God through their knowledge about God through their own example.own example.

They are very kind, unharmful and They are very kind, unharmful and holy holy

There are about 50 in the whole There are about 50 in the whole ScandinaviaScandinavia

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KnowledgeKnowledge

The sentence ” ”The 31st November The sentence ” ”The 31st November 2001 there was 42 focularines in the 2001 there was 42 focularines in the prison of Härlanda.” kan thus give prison of Härlanda.” kan thus give the following knowledge:the following knowledge: FakticityFakticity, the fact that it is so in reality. , the fact that it is so in reality. Maybe they had a meeting in the prison.Maybe they had a meeting in the prison. Maybe it is illegal to be focularineMaybe it is illegal to be focularine Maybe the focularines suddenly have Maybe the focularines suddenly have

become militantbecome militant

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A more possible A more possible interpretation interpretation

It is not correct! There was not 42 It is not correct! There was not 42 focularines in the prison of Härlanda focularines in the prison of Härlanda the 31st November 2001. Besides the 31st November 2001. Besides November has only 30 days.November has only 30 days.

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The lesson from this?The lesson from this?

Knowledge is the important thing.Knowledge is the important thing.

DataData InformationInformation KnowledgeKnowledge

InformationInformation Knowledge Knowledge

KnowledgeKnowledge

KnowledgeKnowledge

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In other wordsIn other words

The same information is interpreted The same information is interpreted different by different peopledifferent by different people

It is also interpreted different by the It is also interpreted different by the same human being due to the same human being due to the context.context.

Data thus always means different Data thus always means different thingsthings

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Summary so farSummary so far

Context

Syntax

Information

Knowledge

D A T A

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What’s this?What’s this?

It is a drawing of a table. Most people think it is a table, but that is wrong. Tables are not in this way.

Can you define ”table”?

Let us agree upon the following:A table is a square surface with four legs.

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So, what is this?So, what is this?

Three types of answers:

Students: They say nothing. They don’t know what it is!

IT-experts: It is a table!

Ordinary people: It is a chair!

Conclusion: Students and IT-experts have a queer apprenhesion of reality!

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This is a tableThis is a table

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This is no table!This is no table!

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Neither is this!Neither is this!

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And definitively not this!And definitively not this!

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What do we learn from What do we learn from this?this?

Everybody know what a table isEverybody know what a table is Everybody recognise a table and can Everybody recognise a table and can

distinguish it from other distinguish it from other phenomenons such as chairs, book-phenomenons such as chairs, book-shelfs, working benches, pianos and shelfs, working benches, pianos and schrewdrivers.schrewdrivers.

But we can’t define it! Our But we can’t define it! Our knowledge is tacit!knowledge is tacit!

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Different types of tacit Different types of tacit knowledgeknowledge

Ostentative knowledgeOstentative knowledge Skill, for instance of a carpenterSkill, for instance of a carpenter Judgements, for instance reports, Judgements, for instance reports,

thesis, winethesis, wine Specific working place knowledgeSpecific working place knowledge Cultural knowledge, for instance in Cultural knowledge, for instance in

other countriesother countries Language gamesLanguage games

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Relevance for systems Relevance for systems designdesign

The systems designer must be well The systems designer must be well aquainted with tacit knowledge, aquainted with tacit knowledge, since design of system is uttermost a since design of system is uttermost a development of a language game development of a language game (i.e. Welanschauung) for other (i.e. Welanschauung) for other persons.persons.

Only those working within the Only those working within the system domain (i.e. those who are system domain (i.e. those who are going to use the system) fully going to use the system) fully understand what it all is about.understand what it all is about.

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Highest relevanceHighest relevance

The conclusion is thus: Only the users The conclusion is thus: Only the users can design and develop correct can design and develop correct systems = corresponding to realitysystems = corresponding to reality

Unfortunately they are often not true Unfortunately they are often not true = logically coherent= logically coherent

But despite that, it is always right (= But despite that, it is always right (= morally right) to allow them to do morally right) to allow them to do that.that.

data, information and knowledge three central concepts within informatics

Documents

data data

knowledge information

prison data

information ex

pure data

prison slide

different contexts

different people