Information is ...
... exploitable (legitimately or not, authorised or not, effectively or not ...)
... more complex and convoluted than we imagined
... full of paradoxes and conundrums (conundra?)
... required for rational debates and decisions
... sometimes out of place
... the common basis of science and the arts
... passed down through the generations
... possible to secure (to some extent)
... independent of the form and format
... a source of competitive advantage
... the product of research and study
... impossible to secure (absolutely)
... dangerous in the wrong hands
... something to be challenged
... powerful in the right hands
... something to be cherished
... something to be despised
... something to be disputed
... of uncertain provenance
... competitive advantage
... the presence of data
... a body of knowledge
... in the public interest
... worth taking care of
... intellectual property
... the absence of data
... of uncertain vintage
... easy to accumulate
... naturally degrading
... of uncertain quality
... of unknown validity
... a means to an end
... extraordinarily rich
... subject to entropy
... of uncertain origin
... of unknown origin
... derived from data
... distinct from data
... what fills the void
... a class of assets
... for the sake of it
... food for the soul
... for coordination
... mind-mappable
... the booby prize
... why we're here
... hard to protect
... an end in itself
... communicated
... acknowledged
... understanding
... self-referential
... entertainment
... consequential
... untrustworthy
... collaborations
... out of context
... dependencies
... unanticipated
... a prerequisite
... embarrassing
... trade secrets
... architectures
... a by-product
... relationships
... raw material
... multifaceted
... unbelievable
... motivational
... inspirational
... fundamental
... appreciation
... disreputable
... matauranga
... for planning
... entertaining
... educational
... a belonging
... a technique
... untraceable
... educational
... perceptions
... fascinating!
... reputations
... perspective
... trustworthy
... threatening
... intellectual
... operational
... anticipated
... disclaimed
... destructive
... conceptual
... experience
... depressing
... incomplete
... misleading
... modulation
... ephemeral
... knowledge
... contextual
... disordered
... expressed
... sequential
... boundless
... inaccurate
... duplicated
... duplicated
... allegorical
... substance
... instructive
... innovation
... invaluable
... processed
... measured
... vulnerable
... streaming
... up to date
... quantified
... indifferent
... subjective
... calculable
... enhanced
... a weapon
... nonfiction
... sentience
... a product
... imprecise
... incredible
... humdrum
... corrupted
... emergent
... metadata
... intangible
... an output
... damaged
... irrelevant
... indistinct
... of no use
... life-blood
.. severable
... authentic
... complete
... disclosed
... reputable
... historical
... guidance
... degraded
... a liability
... shocking
... expertise
... concepts
... a liability
... meaning
... traceable
... worrying!
... historical
... 'ownable'
... creativity
... asserted
... structure
... evidence
... a prompt
... accurate
... outdated
... objective
... an asset
... pertinent
... the prize
... personal
... licensed
... an asset
... frangible
... withheld
... strategic
... dynamic
... complex
... timeless
... copiable
... beautiful
... sharable
... uplifting
... valuable
... learning
... inherent
... linkages
... forensic
... valuable
... credible
... an input
... tradable
... hearsay
... designs
... relevant
... a threat
... relevant
... claimed
... parallel
... precise
... sensed
... ordered
... tactical
... content
... trusted
... pirated
... sounds
... denied
... artistry
... refined
... factual
... topical
... worthy
... cloudy
... copied
... unique
... brands
... smells
... stories
... private
... stored
... boring
... partial
... timely
... signal
... useful
... costly
... fiction
... a tool
... public
... sights
... vague
... stolen
... fragile
... useful
... power
... words
... belief
... crude
... static
... plans
... novel
... finite
... good
... news
... stale
... tales
... data
... ugly
... fake
... free
... lost
... ties
... raw
... bad
... key
...
... very hard to pin down, define and describe comprehensively ... and despite the extraordinary length of this piece in the series, I freely admit I've failed: so what angles have I missed? What springs to your mind in relation to 'information'?
Prior pontifications to peruse:
- Accountability is ...
- Assurance is ...
- Audit is ...
- Authorisation is ...
- Control is ...
- Cyber is ...
- Fragility is ...
- Governance is ...
- Impact is ...
- ISO27k is ...
- Oversight is ...
- Resilience is ...
- Responsibility is ...
- Risk is ...
- Security is ...
- System is ...
- Threat is ...
- Trust is ...
- Vulnerability is ...
Grab the pencil below to have your say.