All that surrounds us is a kind of information that we perceive with various senses. We see colors, smell, hear conversations and other sounds - this is all information.
Now we will talk about data from the point of view of the subject of computer science. What actions can we do with information and do it daily without realizing this fact? Consider the very basic concept, data classification. Before moving on to the question of what actions we can perform with information, we offer you a small introduction, namely the basics of computer science.
Information
Actions with information are numerous: receiving, processing, storage, transfer. Surely everyone knows this, but what is information? Not everyone thought about this issue.
It is important to remember that any information is necessarily associated with any data. It can be either dependent or not, interconnected with other data or information, it can have cost characteristics and so on. This is a short list of properties.
Absolutely all information is divided into:
- Massive.
- Special.
- Personal.
The media belong to the first category, we use them every day: we watch TV, read newspapers and magazines, and in our century all the basic information is drawn from the world wide web called the Internet. Special information includes scientific, technical, and managerial data, which are far from accessible to everyone. It’s not worth talking about personal information, it’s clear to everyone that this is non-disclosed data that is managed by one person. Before we consider actions with information, we suggest getting acquainted with its classification. Various sources offer many variations, comparing several possible, we will give the option described in the next paragraph.
Classification
To begin with, it is important to know that all information is divided into two large groups, broken down by presentation form: discrete and analog. If we take examples, then the first group includes the number of crimes, that is, the information changes, and the second - the speed of the car over a certain distance of the path.
Information can also be divided, given the area of occurrence: elementary, biological, social. The first group includes the actions of inanimate objects, the second - the processes of the living world, and the third reflects the processes of man and society as a whole.
Already in the last paragraph, we gave one of the classification options that displays the purpose. We divided the information into: mass, special and personal.
Before highlighting actions with information, we will analyze the classification that is most often found in computer science and ICT courses, that is, separation by coding method:
Actions
We constantly, without even noticing it, work with data and information. Even if you take a regular school lesson or lecture. They give us information, we perceive it, of course, if we want this, process it, save it, we can share it, that is, transmit it, and so on. Now we will consider what actions with information are possible:
- Receiving.
- Treatment.
- Storage.
- Broadcast.
We offer to consider each operation separately, for a closer and meaningful acquaintance.
Receiving the information
In the last paragraph, we identified the main operations, it is important to note the fact that the sequence of actions with the information there was chosen so by chance. This is the correct sequence of working with information.
First on our list is the receive operation. The information is different and it comes to us in various ways, namely, such methods are distinguished:
- Empirical.
- Theoretical.
- Mixed.
The first method is based on obtaining any empirical data that can be obtained using some actions: observation, comparison, measurement, experiment, survey, testing, interviews and so on.
The second group includes methods for constructing theories, and the third combines both the first and second methods.
Treatment
First comes the receipt of information, then processing is required. This process takes place in several stages. We will analyze the example of an enterprise. The whole process begins with data collection. In the course of its activity, any company accompanies each action with data recording. For data processing, a classification operation is used, as is known, all information is codes consisting of one or more characters. If we consider payroll, then the record will consist of (approximately) a personnel number, department code, position code, and so on. Based on this information and payroll employee.
Storage
Processing and storage of information are very important processes, one of which we have already disassembled. Go to the next step. Why do we store information? This is due to the fact that almost all data is needed repeatedly. Any stored information is a “trace”, and it doesn’t matter what kind of media it is, they can be stones, wood, paper, film, disk and so on, you will not list all. If you look at a leaf, a stone with carved letters, then everything is simple - we see the information with the naked eye. But as for disks, films, flash drives, then this is a little more complicated, we need special devices for reading information. But therein lies a certain plus, that is, writing or reading can be a fully automated process.
Broadcast
This is a process in which information moves in space, it includes several components: source, receiver, carrier, data transmission medium. Consider an elementary example. You recorded the movie on a disc and took it to your friend. This is the transfer of information, where the source is involved - your computer, media - disk, receiver - friend. This process also happens when transferring data via the Internet, but you don’t have to go anywhere.