The Meaning of an Information-Centric Computer Environment

Jens G. Pohl, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

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9 pages. RESU74.

Publisher's website: http://www.iias.edu

Abstract

It is often lamented that we human beings are suffering from an information overload. This is a myth, as shown in Fig.1 there is no information overload. Instead we are suffering from a data overload. The confusion between data and information is not readily apparent and requires further explanation. Unorganized data are voluminous but of very little value. Over the past 15 years, industry and commerce have made significant efforts to rearrange this unorganized data into purposeful data, utilizing various kinds of database management systems. However, even in this organized form, we are still dealing with data and not information.