Thoughts on "the Nature of Information"

"The Nature of Information"

i found the notes on "the nature of information" to be quite informative, and also thought-provoking. i was impressed by the logic displayed in the reasoning for using the "bit" system.

the thing that makes me wonder, though, is how do we keep it all sorted out? since it is the "world wide web" and nearly every language is represented in some way on the internet, how do we make sure that all the information is represented in the same way and perceived in the same way? i suppose that is the reason for having the "codes" system, but still, how can we be sure that someone from another culture is not taking the symbols that we present to them (correctly in our culture) the incorrect way (based on the conventions of their culture)? i like readings that make me wonder...

follow einstein to Infoport!

library of babel

the library of babel story, posted on infoport, was very interesting to me. i think it says a lot about information in general. the point of the story is about how infinite the possibilities are for people to create information. we generally regard anything written as information, but as the story shows, not everything that is written is done so to inform. the library is supposed to contain every book or piece of literature imaginable, every conceivable way to fit the letters of the alphabet together. this draws some comparisons to the internet, where it is so easy for anyone to get their information published and read by the masses. i'm not sure if the story has any point besides the idea that the possibilities for creating and finding new information are limitless.

I101

well, i'm looking forward to learning all about the wide and wonderful world of informatics. right away i have a new blogger account, so that's a big deal. i'm still undecided about what i'm going to be when i grow up, so i'm hoping that this informatics course will give me a good introduction so i can see if a computer-related field is something i can get down on.