Information clarity is important for effective communication. Nuance is not captured when digitizing data.
The on/off nature of digital systems makes it hard to communicate information that does not have a clear answer.
Information is lost when simplifying. Information theory is communicating a lot while using little space.
Information transfer is most effective when there isn’t a lot new content being developed. The range of information that needs to communicated can be codified into a few signals.
Communication Simplicity and Clarity
Baseball signs transmit information with few bits of data.
Playbooks in football contain information for the actions of 11 people on offense and defense. Yet, because of training, this information is shared with just a few short audibles and hand gestures.
The military is full of encoded information. Communication systems in the military need to robust and they need to minimize the possibility of miscommunication. Systems needs to be clear, secure and follow a definable chain of control. Clarity in communication can be achieved when there are fewer variables.
Communication in a Variable World
Communicating effectively and reliably in a world with more variables is difficult. If new information is emerging quickly and from different sources of various validity, it is hard to know which is accurate.
Information clarity in this instance is hard to achieve. It is important to recognize that a lot more information is going to become available in fast changing and emerging areas. This is information that is hard to simplify and codify quickly.
Yet there is often a rush to draw conclusions and find meaning in information that is just noise. There may be some signal mixed in but the information in these kind of situations is anything but clear.
Figuring out how to communicate new information with enough breadth and objectivity is only have of the equation. Determining what to do the information is the tough part.
