№1087

We have learned that data, not information, are stored in a computer system. Data are the row material from which information is derived, and information is data that have been collected and manipulated into a meaningful form. To manipulate data,we must have a way to store and retrieve it.It is easy to understand data storage in a manual system. When a customer's address changes, for example, we pull the folder, erase the old address, and write in the new one. We can see and easily interpret data that are manually kept. We cannot see or easily interpret data stored in a computer. This, of course, comes as no surprise. Data are represented and stored in a computer system to take advantage of the physical characteristics of electronics and computer hardware, not humans.