Verbs and Information

   Ray Paton's point on Verbs in relation to the issue of
Information sounds refreshing.

>It is proposed that an analysis of verbs commonly used in
>association with information can help clarify some of
>the boundaries of our understanding.

>"is transferred <from> <to> <via> ... "
>This presupposes a CIRCUIT in which information flows.
>What does transfer imply:

> source - - > destination (could be teleological)
> carrier (see below)
> flow - - > time, duration, cost of movement, direction ...

   Information requires both active and passive voices.

>Clearly, thermodynamic issues apply here as well as local interactions.

>"acts on" or "is acted on by"
>In this case information becomes a thing or a force.

   Information may require even the middle voice in the sense
that the active agent is not limited exclusively to the speaker.

>"interacts"
>There are a number of associated verbs in this area that can be related to
>acts but also suggest many exchanges as in a society.

   Interaction is something about something else, or is about
something viewed from somewhere. Interaction thus conceived
is quite close to information which Ray framed in the above.

   Regards,
   Koichiro

     Koichiro Matsuno
Received on Mon Feb 2 07:56:48 1998