The Power of Information

Let's start with a couple of questions.

An easy one to begin with.

1) What is 'information'?

Seems simple, isn't it?

The answer (as per Oxford Dictionary): "facts provided or learned about something or someone".

You already knew this, right?

Let's move on.

Next question, slightly complex.

2) How powerful is this information?

Thinking?

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.

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Still thinking.

Well, the answer to this question is not all that simple.

Information could be as "powerless" as nothing or it could be as "powerful" as everything.

Information derives its power from a variety of sources: the origin of information, the target audience of information, the channel through which information flows, the context of information and several other sources. 

An innocuous piece of information such as "Kamal Hasan has made a new movie" might not be noticed by many (except for Kamal Hasan/Movie fans).
But a piece of information such as "Kamal Hasan's movie has characters from XYZ background" may be noticed by many (or by a few to begin with, who could then "create" some more "information" to reach out to a larger audience).
All this can then lead to a lot of things, some of which India has been witnessing for the last couple of weeks.

I may not have seen the movie but an "information" has the power to incite me and protest against the movie.
I can also burn effigies of Kamal Hasan (or Censor Board or Indian Government or USA or any-random-thing-which-comes-to-my-mind) or throw stones at cinema halls (or public buses or police or animals or anyone-who-I-decide-to).

All this made possible by an intelligent use of information, some of which were indeed based on facts (Don't trust the Oxford Dictionary completely: Information are not only based on facts, but borrow heavily from the world of fiction !).

Take another case: Kargil War of 1999.

Imagine it's 1999.
Views of an average Indian about the Kargil War: This war was instigated by Pakistani government and aimed to create trouble in India.
Views of an average Pakistani about the Kargil War: This war was instigated by the Indian Army and Pakistan is right to oppose aggression from across the border.

Come back to 2013.
A book, containing several "new information" by a retired Pakistani General and ex-DG (ISI) (Lt. General Shahid Aziz) has just come out.
Views of an average Indian about the Kargil War. We were correct. What we had been saying all this while has been proven correct.
Views of an average Pakistani (who has read this book) about the Kargil War could be: This is all trash and is an Indian propaganda or Why did it not come out earlier? or We were fed "wrong information" all this while.

"New" information.

"Wrong" information.

The above case highlights many points, one of which is that the source of information could be very crucial in judging and veracity or the "power" of the information.

If I am the Pakistani Head of Kargil War in 1999, why would I want others to know about exact details when I know what the "facts" are ?
I will then "manufacture" information and spread it. The media is there to spread this information for me. This information can then shape opinions of Pakistani people.

On the other hand, if I am an Indian Head of Intelligence in May 1999 (before the "information" about Kargil became public), why would I accept that is was an intelligence failure?
I will also "manufacture" information and spread it. I will tell others that everything is okay and under our control. The media will again spread it.

The point I was trying to make through above examples was that information could be extremely powerful. In fact I consider it to be the most powerful tool mankind possesses.
It simply depends on how we use it.

If I have ulterior motives, I might spread lies, demonize and blame others, or cheat others. And I will do this with the use of information. Sample: George Bush's "information" about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

While if I have a larger goal, I will inform people, create awareness, enlighten society or do something else. And I will also do this with the use of information. Sample: Recent large scale protests against the Delhi gang-rape. 

The advent of social media has accentuated the importance of information dramatically. Social media gives an ordinary citizen the voice: the power to "create", "share", and "receive" information. While earlier it was often difficult, costly and time consuming to spread information to a larger audience, today the task has become much simpler.
Just think of the numerous recent examples where the social media played a pivotal role in sharing information.

The gist of the post:
Information could be extremely powerful. It could incite people to do something destructive or it could enlighten people to do something constructive. Information derives its power from a variety of sources, and it is important for the people to understand these sources before acting on the information. It is also important for us to realize that information is also not only related to "facts", but could be totally a work of fiction.

End note: Even this post contains a lot of information. :)