(data - information - knowledge?) networks.

The 'net is not (only) about knowledge, even information.

Background:

In Finland there has been a lot of discussion and critic concerning the development of Information Society by driving the Internet and computers etc.
The Finnish word for information is "tieto" so the information society is called "tietoyhteiskunta". "Tieto" means (loosely) also knowledge and even, on the other opposite, raw data. A data file is called "tiedosto" (~ a piece of "tieto") and the Internet and other computer based networks are called "tietoverkko" (data/information(/knowledge) network).

It is often claimed that computer networks are only data networks that don't necessarily support information and more importantly knowledge networks at all -- even though the word "tietoverkko" would suggest so. The critics say that a  lot of knowledge is still better presented in books and journals when Internet appears to be filled with disinformation and other meaningless data.

Opinion:

I'd say that the critics are right in their perceptions but think that it's more a benefit than a drawback. These network's capabilities of carrying all kinds of data is just what makes them so flexible!

There's a more to life than information or knowledge. What appears irrelevant to those big minded thinkers might be essential for someone else's life. (there's one new book titled "moral, beyond knowledge" that might say something?)

These I quite new thoughts for me. I've always been the one wondering why and how some people can spend their lives just taking care of bits' wellfare. I've felt it more important to look at what's there, in the meanings, and what new services we could develope. I guess that is also important but ... (dunno)

So "data" and "bits" cover a lot more than "information". Perhaps they are even capable of carrying atmospheres and feelings at least in some way, (...)

But not even bits - being digital - is the key. I don't even want to be digital, analog is often great! It is not the issue at all. What then?

Networks!, I hear already. Ok, the distributed parallel amobean nature of these new structures is important. That is the technology and said to be the politics too. I've been wondering about social structures, so called networked (distributed?) social relations and got to even hear about this study about Network Families.

Some discussion about new netty social structures: (in Finnish only, sorry)
http://an.org/tunnustelua/0049.html
http://an.org/tunnustelua/0056.html
http://an.org/tunnustelua/0059.html

But, sigh, even networks aren't everything. Wonder if I used to think so?
There's lots of them everywhere, though, economy and everything. One of my favourites is language, the new visual thesaurus by PlumbDesign
<URL:http://www.plumbdesign.com/thesaurus/> demonstrates it in quite a nice way, as does also WebSom in Helsinki http://websom.hut.fi/ 

Still they are just .. networks. Some people don't care of them too much but concentrate on .. just some spesific nodes on them? My node I mean for example a person or some other entity (family) on a social network or perhaps some special culture or style from some other aspect (music or whatever). ...

I can say I'm one of Net People, a person perhaps. I think I know what it stands for and am proud of it. It is not about computers, bits, data, information, knowledge or even networks although I guess I'll have to admit that they're related. Perhaps .. perhaps the essense is in attitude .. I'm quite satisfied with what it stands for as being (often) the a of an.

Tapscott's book seems to have a grip on this. I hate the name, though, and some of the approach.
http://www.growingupdigital.com/