Information vs. Message — What's the Difference?

Data processed for meaning.

Information intended for communication.

Basis for decision-making.

Seeks to influence or inform.

Broad and multi-purpose.

Conveys through language or symbols.

Derived through analysis.

Requires a medium.

Contextual and relevant.

A message is a discrete unit of communication intended by the source for consumption by some recipient or group of recipients. A message may be delivered by various means, including courier, telegraphy, carrier pigeon and electronic bus.

Information can be thought of as the resolution of uncertainty; it answers the question of "What an entity is" and thus defines both its essence and the nature of its characteristics. The concept of information has different meanings in different contexts.

A verbal, written, or recorded communication sent to or left for a recipient who cannot be contacted directly

Knowledge or facts learned, especially about a certain subject or event.

A significant political, social, or moral point that is being conveyed by a film, speech, etc.

The act of informing or the condition of being informed; communication of knowledge

An errand

(Computers) Processed, stored, or transmitted data.

Send a message to (someone), especially by email

A numerical measure of the uncertainty of an experimental outcome.

A usually short communication transmitted by words, signals, or other means from one person, station, or group to another

(Law) A formal accusation of a crime made by a public officer rather than by grand jury indictment in instances in which the offense, if a federal crime, is not a felony or in which the offense, if a state crime, is allowed prosecution in that manner rather than by indictment.

The substance of such a communication; the point or points conveyed

That which resolves uncertainty; anything that answers the question of "what a given entity is".

A statement made or read before a gathering

Things that are or can be known about a given topic; communicable knowledge of something.

A basic thesis or lesson; a moral

The act of informing or imparting knowledge; notification.

To send a message to.

A statement of criminal activity brought before a judge or magistrate; in the UK, used to inform a magistrate of an offence and request a warrant; in the US, an accusation brought before a judge without a grand jury indictment.

To send as a message

(obsolete) The act of informing against someone, passing on incriminating knowledge; accusation.

To send a message; communicate.

The systematic imparting of knowledge; education, training.

A communication, or what is communicated; any concept or information conveyed.

The creation of form; the imparting of a given quality or characteristic; forming, animation.

An underlying theme or conclusion to be drawn from something.

[…] the meaning that a human assigns to data by means of the known conventions used in its representation.

An errand.

(Christianity) Divine inspiration.

See groceries, shopping.

A service provided by telephone which provides listed telephone numbers of a subscriber.

To send a message to; to transmit a message to, e.g. as text via a cell phone.

(information theory) Any unambiguous abstract data, the smallest possible unit being the bit.

To send (something) as a message; usually refers to electronic messaging.

As contrasted with data, information is processed to extract relevant data.

(intransitive) To send a message or messages; to be capable of sending messages.

(information technology) Any ordered sequence of symbols (or signals) (that could contain a message).

(obsolete) To bear as a message.

The act of informing, or communicating knowledge or intelligence.

Any notice, word, or communication, written or verbal, sent from one person to another.

Any fact or set of facts, knowledge, news, or advice, whether communicated by others or obtained by personal study and investigation; any datum that reduces uncertainty about the state of any part of the world; intelligence; knowledge derived from reading, observation, or instruction.

Hence, specifically, an official communication, not made in person, but delivered by a messenger; as, the President's message.

A proceeding in the nature of a prosecution for some offense against the government, instituted and prosecuted, really or nominally, by some authorized public officer on behalf of the government. It differs from an indictment in criminal cases chiefly in not being based on the finding of a grand jury. See Indictment.

A messenger.

A measure of the number of possible choices of messages contained in a symbol, signal, transmitted message, or other information-bearing object; it is usually quantified as the negative logarithm of the number of allowed symbols that could be contained in the message; for logarithms to the base 2, the measure corresponds to the unit of information, the hartley, which is log210, or 3.323 bits; called also information content. The smallest unit of information that can be contained or transmitted is the bit, corresponding to a yes-or-no decision.

To bear as a message.

Useful facts, as contrasted with raw data; as, among all this data, there must be some interesting information.

A communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled;

A message received and understood

What a communication that is about something is about

A collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn;

Send a message to;

Knowledge acquired through study or experience or instruction

Send as a message;

(communication theory) a numerical measure of the uncertainty of an outcome;

Send a message;

Formal accusation of a crime

Information's value lies in its relevance, accuracy, and the context it provides, enabling informed decisions and insights.

The primary purpose of information is to provide meaningful context that aids understanding, decision-making, or increases knowledge.

A message functions as a vehicle for conveying specific information from a sender to a receiver, with the intent of being understood and eliciting a response.

Factors include the nature of the information, the intended audience, the urgency of the communication, and the accessibility of the medium to the receiver.

The effectiveness of a message is determined by its clarity, the appropriateness of the medium used for transmission, and how well it is received and understood by the intended audience.

Understanding the distinction helps in effectively packaging and transmitting information for specific communicative purposes, ensuring that the intended message is clearly received and understood.

The quality of information can be assessed based on its accuracy, relevance, timeliness, and applicability to the context or decision at hand.

No, a message inherently contains information, as it is the packaging and transmission of information intended for communication.

Yes, the same information can be packaged differently in various messages, using different tones, mediums, or styles to suit different audiences or purposes.

Messages are fundamental to digital communication, facilitating the exchange of information across various platforms and mediums, from emails to social media.