Info
Info is an informal abbreviation for the English word "information," which denotes knowledge communicated or received about a particular fact, circumstance, or event.[1][2] In everyday usage, information refers to processed data that reduces uncertainty and provides meaning, distinguishing it from raw facts or unorganized signals.[3][4] The concept of information spans multiple disciplines, serving as a foundational element in communication, philosophy, science, and technology. In information theory, pioneered by Claude E. Shannon in his seminal 1948 paper "A Mathematical Theory of Communication," information is quantitatively defined as a measure of uncertainty or surprise in a message, calculated using entropy as H = -\sum p_i \log_2 p_i, where p_i represents the probability of each possible message outcome; this framework revolutionized telecommunications by enabling efficient encoding and error correction in noisy channels.[5] Philosophically, information is often viewed as semantic content that must be well-formed, meaningful, and truthful to qualify as such, as explored in works like those of Luciano Floridi, emphasizing its role in knowledge acquisition and reality representation.[6] In information science, definitions vary across perspectives, including communicatory views (information as a stimulus affecting interpretation), propositional views (true statements or claims), and structural views (organized patterns in matter or energy), highlighting its multifaceted nature without a single universal agreement.[6] Historically, the modern understanding of information evolved from 19th-century thermodynamics—where Ludwig Boltzmann linked entropy to disorder in physical systems—and early 20th-century cybernetics by Norbert Wiener, which introduced feedback mechanisms in control systems.[6] By the mid-20th century, Shannon's quantitative approach decoupled information from meaning, focusing instead on transmission efficiency, influencing fields from computing to artificial intelligence. Today, information underpins the digital age, driving data management, big data analytics, and ethical concerns like privacy and misinformation, with ongoing debates in philosophy and science seeking to unify its semantic, quantitative, and social dimensions.[6]Etymology and Overview
Origin and Definition
The term "info" serves as a colloquial abbreviation for "information," a word derived from the Latin informatio, denoting the act of forming or shaping an idea, concept, or outline.[7] This linguistic root traces back to the verb informare, combining in- (into) and formare (to form), reflecting the notion of imparting shape or structure to knowledge.[8] The earliest documented use of "info" in English appears in 1907, cited in the Oxford English Dictionary from an article in the Oakland Tribune, marking its emergence as a shortened form in print.[9] By the 1940s, the abbreviation had entered official contexts, including U.S. State Department correspondence, where it was employed alongside terms like "infotel" for information telegrams.[10] This period saw "info" solidify as a clipping—a common English linguistic process of truncating words for brevity—particularly in informal and professional writing. In essence, "info" refers to data that has been processed, organized, or contextualized to convey meaning, knowledge, or understanding, distinguishing it from unstructured raw data. This core definition aligns with its role as a succinct stand-in for "information," a broader concept involving the transmission and interpretation of meaningful content.[8] Since its adoption, "info" has exemplified English's tendency toward economical expression in everyday language, signage, and documentation.[11]Historical Development
The abbreviation "info" emerged as a clipping of "information" in English during the early 20th century, with its first known use recorded in 1907.[1] In the 1940s, "info" saw increased adoption in wartime communications, where "INFO" served as a standard abbreviation in military glossaries, reports, and operational documents during World War II.[12] This usage facilitated efficient transmission of details in high-stakes environments, marking an early milestone in its practical application. By the 1970s, with the advent of personal computing, "info" became a common shorthand in user manuals and technical guides, streamlining instructions for early adopters.[13] The 1980s integrated "info" more deeply into digital interfaces, solidifying its role in the burgeoning information age. This evolution contributed to a cultural transition from the formal "information" to the casual "info," driven by media outlets like 1970s publications adopting the term in titles and headlines. Linguistic analysis from the Corpus of Historical American English (COHA) shows "info" appearing infrequently before 1950 but rising sharply thereafter, comprising a notable portion of tech-related documents by 2000.[14]Uses in Computing
Domain Names and Protocols
The .info top-level domain (TLD) was introduced by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in 2001 as a generic TLD intended primarily for websites providing informational content.[15] It is an unrestricted domain, open to registration by any individual, organization, or business without specific eligibility requirements, allowing broad use for sharing knowledge, resources, or data.[15] By early 2025, over 3.8 million .info domains had been registered worldwide, reflecting its steady adoption for diverse informational purposes.[16] The .info TLD supports internationalized domain names (IDNs), enabling registrations in non-Latin scripts such as German umlauts, with second-level IDN support first offered in 2004 by its registry operator, Afilias. This feature enhances global accessibility, allowing domain names to incorporate characters from various languages while maintaining compatibility with the Domain Name System (DNS).[17] The "info:" URI scheme, defined in RFC 4452 published by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in April 2006, provides a uniform resource identifier (URI) mechanism for referencing abstract information assets with identifiers in public namespaces, such as documents, datasets, or conceptual resources.[18] Its syntax follows the general URI format, starting with "info:" followed by a namespace identifier and the specific resource ID, for example,info:doi/10.1000/xyz123 to denote a Digital Object Identifier (DOI).[18] Unlike location-dependent schemes like HTTP, the "info:" scheme emphasizes persistent identification without relying on network resolution, ensuring long-term stability for linked resources.[18]
Developed collaboratively by library and publishing communities, the "info:" scheme facilitates metadata linking and resource discovery in archival and scholarly environments, with its registry maintained by the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC).[19] It integrates seamlessly with established systems like DOIs—where DOIs are registered under the "info:doi/" namespace—and other bibliographic identifiers, supporting interoperability in digital libraries without dependency on evolving web protocols.[20] This adoption has made "info:" URIs a standard tool for embedding stable references in scholarly communications and library catalogs.[21]
Software Commands and Tools
Theinfo command in Unix-like systems is a standalone program designed to display hypertext documentation files, serving as a primary tool for accessing GNU project manuals and other technical resources. Introduced as part of the GNU Texinfo system in February 1986, it allows users to retrieve and navigate structured documentation, such as entering info gcc to access the GNU Compiler Collection manual.[22] Developed by Richard Stallman to support free software documentation needs, the command processes Info files generated from Texinfo markup, providing an alternative to traditional man pages with enhanced linking capabilities.[22]
Core functionality revolves around node-based navigation, where documents are organized into hierarchical nodes connected via menus, cross-references, and indices. Users can traverse content using keyboard commands like n for next node, p for previous, and m to select from menus, while indices enable topic-based lookups with the i command.[23] Searching is supported through regular expression patterns via the s (search forward) and ? (search backward) keys, allowing efficient querying across the entire document or specific sections.[23] These features make info particularly suited for in-depth exploration of complex software documentation, emphasizing hypertextual structure over linear reading.
Integrated within GNU Emacs since its first public release on March 20, 1985, the Info mode provides an interactive viewer for browsing Info files directly in the editor. Accessible via M-x info or the info command within Emacs, it extends the standalone tool's navigation with Emacs-specific bindings, such as g to go to a node by name and d to return to the top-level directory. This mode, originally inspired by Stallman's early hypertext help system in pre-GNU Emacs implementations from 1975–1976, facilitates seamless integration of documentation into editing workflows.[22]
Beyond command-line utilities, "info" also refers to Info.com, a metasearch engine launched in 2004 that aggregates results from multiple sources including Google, Yahoo!, and later Bing.[24] It functioned by compiling and ranking web search outputs without maintaining its own index, offering users a consolidated view of diverse results during the early 2000s when metasearch tools saw peak adoption; it later experienced a resurgence in usage, including as a default search option on Android devices in Europe as of the 2020s, and remains active under System1 ownership as of 2025.[24][25]
File Formats and Extensions
The .info file extension has been used in AmigaOS Workbench since its introduction in 1985 to store metadata for icons representing files, directories, and disks in the graphical file system.[26][27] These files, named as<filename>.info, contain essential details such as the object's type (e.g., Tool for executables, Project for data files, Drawer for subdirectories, or Disk for volumes), the default tool or application to launch, and icon imagery for visual representation in the Workbench environment.[27][28]
The structure of Amiga .info files is a binary format beginning with the magic bytes 0xE3 0x10, followed by fields for the icon's image data (typically in 4-color format based on the Workbench palette, with an optional selected-state image) and metadata sections.[29] Key fields include the icon's position coordinates within its parent window, the tool command specifying the executable to run, stack size allocation for program execution (defaulting to 4 KB if unspecified), and TOOLTYPE lines that define launch parameters as key-value pairs (e.g., WINDOW=FRONT to open in the foreground).[30][27] This format enables persistent icon customization and is created via tools like IconEdit or programmatically using the PutDiskObject() function from the Icon Library.[28] Although specific to legacy Amiga systems, .info files remain supported in modern AmigaOS implementations and emulators, preserving compatibility for historical software.[27]
In contrast, the .nfo extension emerged in the early 1990s within the warez and demoscene communities as a convention for plain text files providing release information alongside pirated software or demos distributed via bulletin board systems (BBS) and floppy disks.[31] The earliest documented .nfo file dates to 1990, created by the group The Humble Guys (THG) for their crack of the game Bubble Bobble (also known as Bubble Dragon), where it replaced traditional README files with details like cracker credits, team contacts, and BBS numbers.[31] These files typically use ASCII or ANSI art for decorative banners, along with structured text sections covering release specifics such as the software name, platform, file sizes, and greetings to other groups, all encoded in MS-DOS Code Page 437 for fixed-width display.[32][31] The .nfo format became widespread in demoscene culture for its role in crediting artists and organizers, evolving into a staple of underground software distribution despite challenges in modern rendering due to encoding differences.[32]
Another variant involves .info files generated from Texinfo source documents in the GNU ecosystem, serving as compiled, hyperlinked formats for on-screen documentation readable by the Info viewer.[33] These files are produced by processing Texinfo markup with the texi2any (or makeinfo) tool, resulting in plain text with embedded control characters that define nodes, menus, cross-references, and indexes for nonlinear navigation.[33] The structure centers on a 'Top' node entry point, followed by interconnected nodes that mirror the document's logical flow, enabling users to traverse content via hyperlinks rather than linear reading.[33] This format supports comprehensive, searchable manuals for GNU software, distinct from printed output, and integrates with tools like the standalone Info command for viewing.[33]