Information Defined

Information is a message received and understood.
Information is a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn.
Information is statistical data.
Information is knowledge acquired through study or experience or instruction.

“Information is that which reduces uncertainty.” Claude Shannon

Information must be something or about something, although the exact nature – substance, energy, or abstract concept – isn't clear.
Information is not a repetition of previously received message.
Information must be true. A lie or false or counterfactual information is mis-information

“Information is that which changes us.” Gregory Bateson

The High Cost of Noise

“The high noise of modern life may affect speech and language development in the very young, according to a study that found the auditory parts of the brains of young mice are slower to organize properly in the presence of continuous sounds. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, reared a group of rats in an environment of continuous background noise and found that their brain circuits that receive and interpret sound did not develop at the same rate as animals that were raised in a quieter environment.

Edward F. Chang and Michael Merzenich, co-authors of the study appearing in the journal Science, said that the continuous noise delayed the organization of auditory neurons during a critical two- to three-week period after the rat pups were born. Although the rat is not a perfect model for what happens in humans, the authors note, the study does suggest that high levels of noise might possibly affect some language learning in infants.

"These findings suggest that environmental noise, which is commonly present in contemporary child-rearing environments, can potentially contribute to auditory and language-related development delays," the authors write in Science. The authors noted that although the brain development was delayed in rats exposed to the noise, “their brains did eventually mature normally.”

Spreading the Word About You

No one can tell your story as well as you can! Dan Janal, Founder and President of PR Leads,
says that if you have the skills -- say, you are a former reporter, PR person or writer -- then "definitely do your own PR. If you don’t have the skills, there are many places online to learn how to do the essential tasks of PR. If you like to learn and can follow instructions," Dan suggests, "consider doing your own publicity. PR is not rocket science. You can do it with a little hand-holding. Consider hiring a PR coach to get you started in the right direction."

Dan is a successful entrepreneur, professional speaker and marketing coach who helps clients build their businesses by improving their strategy for using publicity, marketing, Internet marketing, e-commerce and sales. "If you have the skills," he observes, "but your time is better spent on something else, then by all means, do what brings in the money." Parting words: "You can always hire people to work for you do to PR."

Growing Your Key Talent

News you can use: In her blog, Grow Your Key Talent, prolific author and speaker Rebecca Morgan lays down a challenge and some solutions:

"You say you don’t have any budget for professional development? Do you have budget for recruitment costs and training your key staff’s replacements? How about the loss of productivity when these folks leave and there’s no one with the same skills to fill their spot?"

"Wouldn’t it be cheaper to find some ways to keep them learning without spending a bundle? If you’d like a list of 10 inexpensive ways to develop your key talent, just email me and I’ll send you the chart, including typical costs for each."

Write to Rebecca at Rebecca@RebeccaMorgan.com to receive the PDF chart.

Great Expectations

"Technology reduces the amount of time it takes to do any one task but also leads to the expansion of tasks that people are expected to do." --Juliet Schor

Who Needs More Paper?

When my brother and I were just becoming baseball fans, my father took us to see a Mets-Dodgers game at Shea Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York.

We arrived at the field early, which was a treat for us, and we got to see the players warm-up. Our box seat was rather back from the field, but with hardly anyone in the stands, we ran down to front the railing where John Roseboro, the Dodger's starting catcher, was standing. He spoke to us for a minute or so, and then my brother asked, "Can I touch your glove?" Roseboro said sure.

I can't remember whether or not we asked him for an autograph, but touching his glove, the one with which he caught the fastballs and curveballs of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale was a big enough reward. The strength of that memory surpasses any autograph we might have obtained.

Advice from a Fellow Speaker

Have you noticed that your productivity is down because you're constantly checking email? If so, consider using a spare computer or laptop that is not connected to the Web. For certian types of tasks, your productivity will be amazing.