1/ Apparently, there is some discussion about the value of "data", and what it means, and how to use it, and so on and so on, so let me weigh in here. There is a massive difference between "data" and "information", and here's why.

2/ 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.

3/ And what does all that mean? As an example, consider an old-style phone book for the city of Ottawa. There is a ton of data there -- everyone who lives in Ottawa, and their phone number. So far, so good.

4/ And given the structure of a typical phone book, if I gave you someone's name and address, a phone book is structured in such a way as to let you map that to their phone number fairly quickly. In short, that information is readily accessible.

5/ On the other hand, if I gave you a phone number and asked you who it belongs to, well, that's not so easy, is it? That data is clearly in that phone book somewhere, but not in a format that makes it easily accessible.

6/ *That* is the difference between data and information -- data is simply facts and figures; information is what you have after data is processed and collated and organized to make it useful and accessible and meaningful.

Class dismissed.