data

data miner

Something that extracts or gathers data from a computer. "Spyware" is a malicious type of data miner. IT is going to use a data miner to get us that information. I bet Ben put a data miner on my computer to spy on me!See also: data, miner

spyware

Malicious software designed to surreptitiously record and transmit a computer user's private information to someone or something. The judge ruled that the tech company was installing spyware by virtue of the fact that users were at no point warned that their information was being collected. I've only ever downloaded a movie illegally once, and I ended up with such nasty spyware as a result that I never did it again.

spyware

and data miner n. a kind of malicious software that gathers private information from a personal computer and sends it to another computer. I have a little program that roots out spyware from my computer. It found a data miner lurking among my digital images.

data miner

verbSee spywareSee also: data, miner

data

[′dad·ə, ′dād·ə, or ′däd·ə] (computer science) General term for numbers, letters, symbols, and analog quantities that serve as input for computer processing. Any representations of characters or analog quantities to which meaning, if not information, may be assigned. (science and technology) Numerical or qualitative values derived from scientific experiments.

data

(data, data processing, jargon)/day't*/ (Or "raw data")Numbers, characters, images, or other method of recording,in a form which can be assessed by a human or (especially)input into a computer, stored and processed there, ortransmitted on some digital channel. Computers nearlyalways represent data in binary.

Data on its own has no meaning, only when interpreted by somekind of data processing system does it take on meaning andbecome information.

For example, the binary data 01110101 might represent theinteger 117 or the ASCII lower case U character or the bluecomponent of a pixel in some video. Which of these itrepresents is determined by the way it is processed (added,printed, displayed, etc.). Even these numbers, characters orpixels however are still not really information until theircontext is known, e.g. my bank balance is ?117, there are twoUs in "vacuum", you have blue eyes.

data

(1) Technically, raw facts and figures, such as orders and payments, which are processed into information, such as balance due and quantity on hand. However, in common usage, the terms "data" and "information" are used synonymously. In addition, the term data is really the plural of "datum," which is one item of data. But datum is rarely used, and data is used as both singular and plural in practice.

The amount of data versus information kept in the computer is a tradeoff. Data can be processed into different forms of information, but it takes time to sort and sum transactions. Up-to-date information can provide instant answers.

A common misconception is that software is also data. Software is executed, or run, by the computer. Data are "processed." Thus, software causes the computer to process data.

(2) Any form of information whether on paper or in electronic form. Data may refer to any electronic file no matter what the format: database data, text, images, audio and video. Everything read and written by the computer can be considered data except for instructions in a program that are executed (software).

(3) May refer only to data stored in a database in contrast with text in a word processing document.

data

for the puposes of data protection legislation, data is information which is being processed by means of equipment operating automatically in response to instructions given for that purpose, is recorded with the intention that it should be processed by means of such equipment, or is recorded as part of a relevant filing system or with the intention that it should form part of a relevant filing system. It need not be held on a computer.

DATA

Acronym	Definition
DATA➣Data Accountability and Trust Act
DATA➣Durham Area Transit Authority (Durham, NC)
DATA➣Design and Technology Association (UK)
DATA➣Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000
DATA➣Drug Alcohol Traffic Awareness
DATA➣Debt, AIDS and Trade in Africa (humanitarian organization)
DATA➣Data Analysis and Technical Assistance (Unit; Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs)
DATA➣Data-Aware Transport Activity (Nortel, ADC, Fujitsu, Etc)
DATA➣Design and Technology Academy (San Antonio, TX)
DATA➣Debt Aid and Trade for Africa
DATA➣Do As Time Allows
DATA➣Defense Air Transport Administration
DATA➣Decisions and Advanced Technology Associates, Inc.
DATA➣Delusions of Armymen Tank-drivers and Airmen
DATA➣Draughtsmens' and Allied Technicians Association (UK)
DATA➣Drawings for Army Training Aids
DATA➣Desires, Abilities, Temperament, Assets
DATA➣Department of Advanced Technology Application (MMOG game)

See

data

noun

Synonyms for data

noun information

Synonyms

information
facts
figures
details
materials
documents
intelligence
statistics
input
gen
dope
info

Synonyms for data

noun that which is known about a specific subject or situation

Synonyms

fact
information
intelligence
knowledge
lore

Synonyms for data

noun a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn

Synonyms

information

Related Words

aggregation
collection
accumulation
assemblage
accounting data
metadata
raw data