ATTRIBUTES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

Information technology [IT] and computers have enormous influence on all segments of our life. All our workplaces and the living surroundings are being mechanized or rather automated. The benefit of information. The benefit of information technology is that, it empowers people to do what they want to do, let's people to be creative, make people to be productive and allow people to learn things which they didn't think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential. Technology, in all its forms, has had an impact on practically on and all. information technology, with its complication and remarkable alteration, has debatably  had the most philosophical force on community. Information is any type of pattern that influences the formation or transformation to be stored, accessed and transmitted electronically, and with no orientation to customary to customary print on paper media.

In this unit, we will explore IT and its attributes. We start with the definitions of the data, information, knowledge and wisdom. In the later sections, we will study the types of information, quality of information, value of information, various forms of storing the information and effectiveness parameters of the information.

OBJECTIVES

After going through this unit, you should be able to :

• define an attribute ;
• define data, information. knowledge and wisdom;
• differentiate between  data and information;
• differentiate between information and knowledge;
• describe the value of information;
• discuss the quality and significance of the information ; and 
• describe various ways to store the information.

DATA, INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM

Data: A datum, a unit of data, derived from the latin word is one or more symbols that are used to communicate something. They are raw facts that represent persons, places, things or events that have occurred or are about to obtain place. It is a symbol, sign or measure in a form which can be directly captured by a person or a machine.It is self-regulating, unrelated and limitless in number. It is raw, simply exists and has no significance beyond its existence. It can exist in any form, usable or not.

Data represents a fact or statement of event without relation to other things.

Example:It is raining.

Information: Information is the interpretation of data. It is the data that has been processed into an outward appearance that is having an important effect to the beneficiary, and is of authentic perceived value in the current or potential decision making process. It is the data that has been processed in such a way that it can augment the knowledge of the person who uses it.The processing of the data and its appraisal,psychoanalysis and interpretation by users, alter it into constructive information.