What is Data? data Vs information

What is data : in general terms, data is definef as a collection  of facts and figures.

Data consists of alphabets, numbers or symbols in raw and unorganised form,  which represents  conditions, ideas or obkects. In case of the above example,  the debit card numbers and pin is considered data for the payment service.

How is Data Generated? 

Data can be generated two ways: explicitly and implicity. 

Explicit Data:  

                              Data can be provided intentionally and received at face value instead of trying to analyse or interpret its meaning. This kind of data is called explicit data. Information provided in surveys and membership applications are example of explicit data. 

Implicit Data:

                              Data can also be provided unintentionally and may be derived from analysis of explicit data. 

Posting something on social networking sites,  leaving the browsing history of your computer uncleared and leaving transaction  receipts at public places are all example of implicit data. There are various tracking technologies that gather implicit or behavioural data. 

In a daily basis,  we generate data in various froms and share it intentionally and unintentionally. Some example of creating data intentionally are saving phone numbers,  sending text messages, voicemails, credit card transactions, etc. 

Data can be created unintentionally, such as the call log on your smartphone,  details of the last login on your laptop and the amount of battery left in your digital device. 

Difference Between Data and information 

Thought data and information are very different from each other; they are often used interchageably  due to the confusion related to of meaning of these two terms. Data is the basis unit to the creation of information. When data is interpreted, organised and structured (to make it meaningful and useful);  it is called information. 

The context of data can be understood through information. Thus, the basic difference between data and information is that a collection of data which conveys meaningful ideas is called information.  

Information provides answer to the questions like,  who, which, when,  why, what and how. 

Data vs information

Data:

• Data can be in the form of numbers, characters, symbols or pictures. 
• The raw input is data and it has no significance when it exists in that form. 
• Example: The history of temperature reading all over the word for the past 100 year os data. 

Information :

• Information is about facts, things, concepts or anything relevant to the topic concerbed. 
• When data is collated or organised into something meaningful,  it gaims significance.  This meaningful organisation of data is information. 
• Example: if this Data is organised and analysised to find that global temperature ia rising,  then that is information.