All of the books in the world contain no more information than is broadcast as video in a single large American city in a single year. Not all bits have equal value.
Of course, one can argue that some kinds of knowledge—like the kinds you and I know? -- are vastly more important than others, but such a claim is usually more snobbery than fact.
“Comparing information and knowledge is like asking whether the fatness of a pig is more or less green than the designated hitter rule.”
-- David Guaspari
Was the parent upvoted because people thought it was funny, or because they thought I had provided the correct answer, or because I mentioned ponies, or some other reason?
Carl Sagan
— Nick Szabo, quoted elsewhere in this post. Fight!
Knowledge and information are different things. An audiobook takes up more hard disk space than an e-book, but they both convey the same knowledge.
“Comparing information and knowledge is like asking whether the fatness of a pig is more or less green than the designated hitter rule.” -- David Guaspari
I now have coffee on my monitor.
This is one of the obvious facts that made me recoil in horror while reading Neuromancer. Their currency is BITS? Bits of what?
Are you sure you are thinking of the right novel? Searching this for the word “bit” did not find anything.
He may have been thinking of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
Was the parent upvoted because people thought it was funny, or because they thought I had provided the correct answer, or because I mentioned ponies, or some other reason?
probably because you mentioned ponies.
Which got even more upvotes… [sigh]
Please don’t become reddit!
Yes.
Apparently so! Then, which book was it?? Shoot.
I think this is just a misuse of the word “information”. If the bits aren’t equal value, clearly they do not have the same amount of information.
I think value was used meaning importance.
Clearly some bits have value 0, while others have value 1.