Semiotics Summary
For each of us and for organisations in general the effective use of information is a critical success factor. You only need to think of the assignments you need to complete and the demand for a diverse and unified communication of information being required.
There are two broad paradigms for dealing with information:
• Information as a ‘substance’ flowing through a system (Stamper et.al.)
• Information as a ‘process’ ie a social activity of making and maintaining relationships (Cheek et.al.)
We have chosen the later paradigm, however both need modelling approaches which allow us to collect and communicate knowledge and information effectively.
Daniel Bell (1973) coined the expression ‘the post-industrial society’. In this society a substantial proportion of the population are employed or involved in the work of information collection and communication. In this sense we can see that information has become a commodity which can have a value and is therefore marketable. It also can be seen as an indispensable component of our social fabric.
The general concept of ‘information’ is used in a confused manner. By some it is seen as something we distil from data in order to make decisions, and to a point this could be a true observation. By others it is seen in terms of the understanding that we gain from messages or the knowledge that one person communicates to another and the meanings we create and exchange.
Stamper, Lui, Schaik (unpublished) suggest:
‘… To obtain something resembling a scientific handle on the concept of information we need to begin with a clear picture of what we are observing. Physics is concerned with physical bodies of all kinds, their properties and their behaviour. We do not have to define the concept of a body in so many words because we can show a person so many concrete examples that he can learn to use the word ‘body’ as competently as we do ourselves. Similarly, we can start our exploration of information by using the concept of a sign. We might tell someone that a sign is any physical object, event, or property of an object or event which can stand for something else. But we do not leave it at that. We show them hundreds of diverse examples until they know what a sign is by ostensive definition (that is, by demonstration). In this way we escape the tyranny of a verbal regression into the domain of practical, concrete action.
Knowledge, its source and truthfulness have been under question for a long time. People have always wondered what exactly constitutes facts and if there are any defining laws that can be attributed to all knowledge or information available in the world. Many philosophers speculated on how information can be interpreted according to its falsity or truthfulness, but have not come to definite conclusions. Edmund Gettier has provided one of the key pieces in understanding and trying to figure out what knowledge really is.
After entering the modern society, people living in a high information environment, a salient feature of it is that peopl...
Communication is the sending and receiving of information. It is the “interactive exchange of information, ideas, feelings, needs, and desires” (Heward, 2009, p.297). The act of communication allows us to understand relationships between people, things, and actions. Types of communication include spontaneous requests, spontaneous comments, responsive requests, responsive comments, and imitation (Bondy & Frost, 2002). Receptive communication occurs when incoming information is interpreted, while expressive communication occurs when an individual conveys information (Heward, 2009). Communication requires a sender and a receiver of information. Thus, as humans, communication allows us to relate to our peers. We can express o...
Saussure developed a powerful approach called semiotics, this approach unpacks how there is meaning in signs. It allows us to interpret meaning through representation. To elaborate further the approach argues that meaning is either representative of something or in affiliation to it only then is the sign meaningful.
...use of the difficulties that said information places on already mentally trying ideas. One such question is that of the non-physical mind. Some philosophers believe that all a person ever will be is a sum of his corporeal parts, and that all the thought he or she has are products of his or her brain. On the other hand, there are philosophers who believe that our personalities are actually caused not only by physical reactions (i.e. neuro-chemical reactions), but also by an as-of-yet scientifically undefined area that is somehow outside of the physical body as we now know it.
information. This is when, when a material is manipulated and no longer matches the cognitive image that a child has made, that child believes the amount of material has been altered instead of just its shape. (Jarvis, Chandler 2001 P.
But what good is all this information if it is not usable? "Almost all our resources are dedicated to gathering the raw material--information--and almost nothing is spent on the most important job of transforming information into intelligence" (Milton 1989, p. 6). Milton suggests that it is possible to have "negative information"--that which causes the recipient to know less than before because it is not integrated, applied, and transformed into knowledge. Essential to information mastery is understanding the relationship between data, information, and knowledge (TAFE-TEQ 1992): data are raw facts and figures, information is data organized into a meaningful context, and knowledge is organized data (i.e., information) that has been understood and applied.
Birchler and Butler (2007) stated that there are many reasons to know in depth about economics of information, which are information is an interesting economic good, economics is about information, information is of strategic importance and information economics is a young field with practical relevance in many context.
The Internet’s influence on our lives has spread throughout. According a 2009 US Census survey 74% of Americans use the internet and have access within their household.A number that has increased every year since 1990 and will sure grow in the future. In this survey they relieved that they did various activities on the internet including social media, (Facebook and Twitter) researching and reading news articles, watching YouTube videos, shopping and so much more all can be done with a computer or Internet enabled phone. With this ease of use and convenience it casts a shadow upon the future of printed and broadcast information. The Web’s instant and vast knowledge bank has changed ...
Social semiotic draws on the semiotic notion of communication or language as a system of signs, which provides a range of potential meanings to its users. There is not difference between the code or langue and performance or use in the social semiotic. The actual meanings made are limited by the conditions of access and context: The cultural trajectories (historical map) of individuals and groups endows them with different dispositions and literacies. Cultural patterns we use to make sense always shapes and frames contexts.
To know what information to keep & what information to dispose of, one has to determine the future value of information. Determining the future value of information is difficult as the human being tries to reason about hypothetical situations, in which, they are very poor*.
In the world today, information is an important aspect in almost every part of our life. From what time the movie we want to see begins to whether we should buy stock in Dell or IBM, we depend on accurate information. Is this kind of information a commodity? The dictionary defines a commodity as something valuable or useful (Webster 1993). Presently, information is a commodity because people are willing to pay high prices for information in order to make better decisions. In this paper, I will give many examples of how information acts as a commodity. I will also show how information acts as a commodity in other areas than just technology and business.
The first area where technology and society relates most is communication. People in a society must pass information from one person to another to maintain order. Traditionally, information dissemination was done using inefficient methods such as the messengers and would take long time before it reached to the intended recipient depending on the distance. Technological advancement that resulted in introduction of more efficient means of communication such as mobile phones and computers led to contextualization of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT). This had a direct impact on the society as now information could be disseminated amongst a larger group and in the contemporary wo...
Societies have evolved over recent centuries from agricultural communities to industrial giants. Sociologists, amongst others, are fascinated by the changes that have occurred in society, particularly since the advent of the industrial revolution to recent times. The last few decades have been referred to as the information era and this essay will be discussing the theories of several prominent authors, such as Daniel Bell, Frank Webster, Fritz Machlup and others, regarding the notion of an ‘information society’. The varying approaches have all have gained some momentum over the past few decades as technology advances. There will be some comment on their interpretations, how the information fits into our society, and the ways it has effect has possibly changed us. It will also see if any or all explain just what an information society is.