Informating is a term coined by

Shoshana Zuboff Shoshana Zuboff (born 18 November 1951) is an American author, Harvard professor, social psychologist, philosopher, and scholar. Zuboff is the author of the books ''In the Age of the Smart Machine: The Future of Work and Power'' and ''The Suppo ...

in her book ''In the Age of the Smart Machine'' (1988). It is the process that translates descriptions and measurements of activities, events and objects into

information Information is an abstract concept that refers to that which has the power to inform. At the most fundamental level information pertains to the interpretation of that which may be sensed. Any natural process that is not completely random ...

. By doing so, these activities become visible to the organization. Informating has both an empowering and oppressing influence. On the one hand, as information processes become more powerful, the access to information is pushed to ever lower levels of the

organization An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from ...

. Conversely, information processes can be used to monitor what Zuboff calls human agency.

Zuboff Description

From ''In the Age of the Smart Machine'', Informating is described as:

''What is it, then, that distinguishes
information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...
from earlier generations of
machine technology A machine is a physical system using power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolecules ...
? As information technology is used to reproduce, extend, and improve upon the process of substituting machines for human agency, it simultaneously accomplishes something quite different. The devices that
automate Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, namely by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machines ...
by translating information into action also register data about those automated activities, thus generating new streams of information. For example, computer-based, numerically controlled machine tools or microprocessor-based sensing devices not only apply programmed instructions to equipment but also convert the current state of equipment, product, or process into data. Scanner devices in supermarkets automate the checkout process and simultaneously generate data that can be used for
inventory control Inventory control or stock control can be broadly defined as "the activity of checking a shop's stock". It is the process of ensuring that the right amount of supply is available within a business. However, a more focused definition takes into acco ...
,
warehousing A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities, tow ...
, scheduling of deliveries, and
market analysis A market analysis studies the attractiveness and the dynamics of a special market within a special industry. It is part of the industry analysis and thus in turn of the global environmental analysis. Through all of these analyses the strengths, wea ...
. The same systems that make it possible to automate office transactions also create a vast overview of an organization's operations, with many levels of data coordinated and accessible for a variety of analytical efforts." (Zuboff, 1988; p. 9)''

Concept

According to Zuboff, any activity, such as two friends using

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

to communicate, can be said to be informating. In using tools such as Facebook, the two friends are converting their activity of thinking into information. Thereby making their activity visible to another or others.

Usage of Word

''Informating'' as a concept, is being applied to several contexts. For example, in the context of education, Alan November, in his 2010 work, ''Empowering Students With Technology'', wrote: November, Alan. ''Empowering Students With Technology''; 2010. builds on Zuboff's definition:

It is a powerful learning tool because it shifts the power and control to students by giving access to new sources of information and relationships. November states, "Students have access to content information that was previously only available in the teacher's edition of the textbook."

References

{{Reflist Information theory