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What is data? The Latin word datum means 'something that is known'. The plural of datum is data, which could be translated as 'things that are known'. In this book, however, as in most books dealing with computing, we treat the word data as a singular collective noun. Although the words data and information are commonly used as synonyms, information implies data that has had some organisation to facilitate understanding. Information may be true or it may be false. It is largely the responsibility of humans to ensure that the information we have contains the truth.
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