1 The network society

1.1 Data and information

Although this course is about IT, the technologies you'll be learning about do not actually handle information. Instead they handle data. In everyday language the terms 'data' and 'information' are often used interchangeably, but it is important to understand the difference when you are studying IT.

Data is a representation of information so that it can be conveyed, manipulated or stored. Information is the meaning that people give to data in particular contexts. So data can't really be considered information until it is given meaning and is interpreted.