I suppose it depends on context. It is used in a number of specific, technical ways, as well as in colloquial, informal ways.
I remember when our department (at work) was renamed from "data processing" to "information technology", from where I stood, it was mere marketing hype, to others it meant something. Data, on its own is meaningless, like the number '17'. But put that into a context such as "this account balance is 17.00" then it becomes information. But even the latter is still only meaningful in a broader context, in isolation, it is just as meaningless as before.-
I remember when our department (at work) was renamed from "data processing" to "information technology", from where I stood, it was mere marketing hype, to others it meant something. Data, on its own is meaningless, like the number '17'. But put that into a context such as "this account balance is 17.00" then it becomes information. But even the latter is still only meaningful in a broader context, in isolation, it is just as meaningless as before.-
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