Infogineering explains that there are two ways we learn about the World. The first is directly through what we see and hear. The second is through information.

In the modern World, we are becoming more and more dependent on information as the main source of how we learn about the World around us. If there was an earthquake somewhere yesterday, it was far more likely that you found out about it through the news, than through the fact that the ground was shaking beneath you.

It's surprising how many people have strong views and opinions on subjects, when their knowledge on the topic was gained almost entirely through information - rather than direct experience. Take the Iraq situation. Everyone's got an opinion on how it's going - but how many of them have actually lived in Iraq over a period of time and experienced the difference?

Instead, your views are based on what you read in newspapers and watch on TV. Is that fair - do you think you could sum up how your entire country was doing in just 2 minutes a night?

We constantly have to make complex decisions in our lives, and these decisions are based on what we know at that point. It's very rare that a single, perfect choice stands out - so we have to weigh up the available information we have. Therefore, we become dependent on this information.

When we rely on information, there are a few problems to recognise:

• the information may be incomplete, and only show part of the story
• the information many have been edited, to purposefully conceal evidence that would lead you to different conclusions
• the information may be out of date by the time you access it
• the information may be wrong

The last item here - that the information may just be plain wrong - is quite common on the Web. Anyone can publish anything on the Web without prior approval, so there is no guarantee that what you read is true. Just because a website looks flashy or expensive, it doesn't mean that you can trust it.

So, just remember that information doesn't always provide the full story, for various reasons. Recognise that the information is not the same as reality.