Did that just make sense? 0.o

Could I have permission to add your definition to my tiny, but growing, “Blogtionary” along with a link to this post?

Thanks for your time and trouble, Dale!

There are two points to consider. First, I can be certain yet wrong (truth vs. knowledge of truth). Second, how does your definition affect the concept of “misinformation”? Would it then be “data that increases uncertainty”? That seems problematic because the point of misinformation is to make someone believe (with certainty) something that is false.

1. There’s already an accepted definition of “information”, which is data that has been communicated and understood:

http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=information

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_(book)

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=information

There’s one definition that relates to uncertainty, from information theory, in which “information” is actually a measure of the uncertainty (or improbability) of some thing. (An indirect measure of entropy). The more information something contains, the more improbable it is (e.g., DNA is more improbable than a water molecule).

2. Your definition doesn’t work. If I give you two facts, which you can read and understand (”information” according to accepted definitions), then it doesn’t necessarily reduce uncertainty. For example:

FACT #1: The dice came up 6
FACT #2: Then the dice came up 4

What number will come up next? Have I reduced uncertainty by giving you more information? Or are you saying this doesn’t count as information?

Your example of two facts about a dice game has no significance to me, and therefore does not inform me. To a player in the game, the information content might be different.

Also, the reduction of uncertainty is not about predicting the future, but understanding the present. After receiving your data about the dice game, I have no less uncertainty. Which dice? Were there throws between the “6″ and the “4″? Were you lying and the dice actually came up “snake-eyes” both times? Were you making a hypothetical statement and the dice didn’t exist, at all?

That’s a new one on me as well, I’m afraid. I couldn’t find any definitions of information that implied that it had to be significant.

If I tell you that the dice came up 6 and then 4, and you understand me (or even misunderstand me), then that’s information, and I quite agree that it doesn’t reduce your uncertainty