Data
/ˈdeɪ.tə/
noun — "the digital breadcrumbs your systems leave behind."
Data is the raw information collected, stored, and processed in information technology systems. It can be numbers, text, images, logs, or signals that represent facts, events, or measurements. Data forms the foundation for data analysis, business intelligence, machine learning, and fraud detection.
Technically, Data involves:
Metadata
/ˈmɛtəˌdeɪtə/
noun — "data that describes other data."
Metadata is structured information that provides context, description, or additional attributes about other data. It does not typically contain the primary content itself but conveys essential properties, relationships, and management details that facilitate understanding, organization, retrieval, and processing of the main data. In computing, metadata is widely used in databases, filesystems, web services, multimedia, and distributed systems to enhance data management and interoperability.