One would think that the word “database” is an easy,
straight forward word that as a native English speaker would not need an
explanation. It is not an easy word to explain.
If I hold up an object to a native speaker, they should be able to tell
me what it is. I hold up the object
below and a child in France
would say it is a “livre;” a German would say, “Buch;” a Latin speaker “liber;”
a Hebrew speaker “sefer.” However, to a
Yiddish speaker what it is called depends on the content. The answer could be,
“buch” or “sefer.”
Suppose a reader came into the library and wanted a
book. The library has 1000’s of
books. You would ask him/her to be more
precise. When you find a book in the
catalog the call number will tell you where to find it. The reader starts with
a book describing the kind of object wanted and eventually finds the precise
items needed. A similar thought process could help a hungry person find food in
a grocery store.
Abstract concepts are harder to define. The meaning of “data” is moving target. One person’s data is the basis for another
person’s information. One “datum[1]” is
the smallest unit that represents objects, events, or entitles that have
meaning in the user’s universe. The last part of this definition is where the
context and flexibility make the exact definition imprecise. In the computer language 0’s and 1’s are bits
and are used for bytes. Each byte
represents a letter of the alphabet. Letters make words; words make sentences,
sentences make paragraphs, and so forth.
A small example of a database is a sentence. The characters (data) are organized into
words and related to give meaning. A database is an organized collection of
data. The database may be on paper, electronic or stored in any other media one
could imagine. A directory, an
encyclopedia, or a card catalog may be considered databases.
In March a librarian asked about the difference between
updating a database and updating a website.
At first I was going to dismiss the question as being too naïve for me
to bother, but then I read an article by Denis Pombriant in CRM Magazine
[2] “Data
versus knowledge” Pombriant talks about
using data as a way to gain knowledge.
This flow of knowledge is a concept that I have long talked about. He talks about data points that are not
quantitative. For example shoes can
have size, color, style but also shipping records, sales records, etc. Taken with the data from other sales, the
business can gain the knowledge to make informed business decisions. Knowledge
is a property of the human mind, but information and data are in constant
motion. He concludes that one must
cultivate (in other words “organize”) data in order to turn it into
information.
If we follow this line of reasoning, data is the source that
when it is once organized and stored may become information. There is no definition of data that can fit
every situation.
Databases by their very nature are meant to by dynamic and
always changing. Paper databases, of
course, change a lot slower than electronic databases.
Returning to the original question about the difference
between updating a website and updating a website, one has to figure out the
type of entity one is dealing with. There are two kinds of web pages – dynamic
and static. Dynamic web pages are formed
with data from many sources. Every time
one visits the site, it is different. A
dynamic database could be a portal to more information or display information based
on a search of a database. For example a
web based email program will display the mail with the featured offered by the
programmers. The display changes based
on messages that come and go. A library
catalog or a retail business site are examples or web sites that search
databases. A static page is coded by the
creator and will display the same way until the creator changes it.
Updating a database is independent of the display of data on
the screen. The data could be displayed
on multiple interfaces. Many libraries
have multiple search options for their catalogs. For a static page, only an authorized user
may update it.
[1]
Just a reminder -- “data” is from Latin and is plural. The singular is “dataum.” However, in common usage “data” is used as
singular noun.
[2]
CRM means customer relations management.
This is publication aimed at helping business becoming more tuned in to
the needs of customers. Full citation: Pombriant,
Denis. “Data versus knowledge: gaining
insight from your data means rethinking its definition.” CRM Magazine April
2014. Online: http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/Columns-Departments/Reality-Check/Data-Versus-Knowledge-95253.aspx
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1 comment:
Well, yes, but saying you should think about it and that it is fairly involved is not in itself useful. When I started, there were databases, but there was not yet a SQL. It seemed to encompass a collection of files which seemed easier to harness to a task than to maintain or modify. Around the word, there are a number of expectations that have grown up around it. There have been a number of solutions to satisfy these needs, quite distinct from one another. The finest of them thumb their noses at definitions and just do something vital to the code that utilizes them. The code was factored out of programs so the programmers could stop reinventing the wheel imperfectly every time they needed one. So a class of products grew up and a class of operators who can realize their potential. Conceiving of key loose files hanging around a system as something with greater potential was a leap.
All this is of little more use to understanding anything.
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