We often see articles on how much information there is available on the web. I am going to disagree with that statement and say instead that there is a lot of data on the web. Data that stays unknown and of little use to us until we read and translate that into information. If we have no clue what the data means then it stays as data.
We have two ways to obtain information we need for whatever reason either by our direct processing (thinking about) of the data or second hand through someone else's processing. Which is why lists and summaries are so popular. We can get an easy synopsis in just a few minutes.
We seek data when we are looking for a specific answers to our question. Fact finding, definitions, pro or con, and the like. We seek information when we need a focus (viewpoint) to go along with the data to give us a direction or way to think about the information.
This is where I think blogs fit into our search for knowledge. With blogs we get information (data + thought) in a way we are more comfortable with; a conversation. Interactions through comments allows us to extend our conversations and increase our knowledge if only of a different viewpoint.
Do you agree or disagree? Do you use blogs as an information source?
