Dee Hock on Noise, Data, Information, Knowledge, Understanding, Wisdom



Linda Stone is perhaps most famous for coining the phrases "continuous partial attention" and "committed full-attention focus is the next aphrodisiac." However, I'm especially grateful for her (hat tip to Nat on O'Reilly ) pointing me to Dee Hock's definitions of how information evolves:
Dee Hock [founder of Visa], back in 1996, said:
• Noise becomes data when it has a cognitive pattern.
• Data becomes information when assembled into a coherent whole, which can be related to other information.
• Information becomes knowledge when integrated with other information in a form useful for making decisions and determining actions.
• Knowledge becomes understanding when related to other knowledge in a manner useful in anticipating, judging and acting.
• Understanding becomes wisdom when informed by purpose, ethics, principles, memory and projection.

Posted: Mon - March 13, 2006 at 08:34 AM        

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