Data is a distinct piece of information stored in structured formats. Communication technology relies on the storing, manipulating, and ability to communicate data.
Data can exist in a variety of forms. It can exist as a number or text on a piece of paper (ie. Your teacher takes attendance during each class and writes it on a piece of paper) or it can be bits and bytes stored in electronic memory, or even facts stored in a person's mind.
We are all consumers and storers of data every day.
Acitivty One
Create a list of way you consume (use data) and store data in your day to day life.
Data collected or manipulated by any software program must have a digital format for storing to be saved or transmitted. Most programs create a standardized or proprietary format known as a file type. Some programs share common file types while others have unique file types.
The file format specifies first whether the file is a binary or ASCII file (ASCII are normally text files and binary are normally digits/we will expand on this further later), and second, how the information is organized. File formats are typically signified by an extension name often three characters long (ie. JPG).
Digital electronic data is measurable, whether active as an open file in active computer memory, stored in long term passive media such as on a hard drive, flash memory card, in the Cloud, or in the process of being transmitted. Data storage is measured in terms such as bits, byte, kilobit/kilobyte, megabit/megabyte, gigabit/gigabyte and terabyte
Acitivty Two
Briefly describe what are bits, byte, kilobit/kilobyte, megabit/megabyte, gigabit/gigabyte and terabytes?
Acitivty Three
What are some file formats you can think of?