Posted by Craig Maudlin on March 16, 1998 at 12:40:07:

In Reply to: Re: On Sense, Sensibility and Nonsense posted by Mezei on March 15, 1998 at 20:23:48:

One problem with reaching for absolutes is the existing widespread usage of the terms: data, information and knowledge. Even if one were able to perfect absolute definitions, it seems unlikely that the use of all other definitions could be completely extinguished. A practical consequence would be the ongoing need to qualify one's use of the terms -- just as we need do today.

Consider the computer I'm typing on now. Certainly it contains a great quantity of data. I find it useful for to speak of the information it contains and occasionally I speak of certain things it 'knows' how to do.

Am I misspeaking or simply making an error whenever I talk about the knowledge within my machine? Perhaps, but I think there is a useful distinction to be made here and if I'm persuaded not to use the term 'knowledge' for this, then I'll be looking for a new term I can use for this same distinction.

I think the distinction I find useful to make with respect to the information and knowledge contained in my machine is the very same distinction I find useful to make with respect to people. Let me hasten to add that the TYPES of information and knowledge are very different in the two cases. But I think the DISTINCTIONS I make are the same.

This, then, is why I don't think we can really expect to eliminate context and come up with absolute terminology. We have a natural tendency to use a given term whenever we recognize the pattern that constitutes the distinction we associate with the term. Our minds just seem to unconsciously operate by recognizing such patterns whereever they occur.

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Follow Ups:

• Re: On Sense, Sensibility and Nonsense Mezei 14:36:13 3/16/98 (3)
  • Re: On Sense, Sensibility and Nonsense Craig Maudlin 15:18:47 3/16/98 (2)
    • Hearing poetry, reading poetry, and storing poetry are different medias with different meanings... Mezei 22:13:23 3/16/98 (1)
      • Re: Hearing poetry, reading poetry, and storing poetry are different medias with different meanings... Craig Maudlin 11:55:35 3/17/98 (0)
• Re: On Sense, Sensibility and Nonsense Craig Maudlin 12:58:17 3/16/98 (0)

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