There is also common agreement that "data," "information," and "knowledge" are not the same, even though they are often -- wrongly so -- used interchangeably. Their differences are often as unclear to the experts as to the layperson.

One aspect above all else is especially disturbing. It is the strong, taken-for-granted assumption that agreement between the monumental and voluminous databases that both government and businesses are constantly producing will eventually result, and further that agreement itself is fundamentally desirable. -- p.20

 
In the end, the most general conclusion is "seek agreement or consensus but do not trust them fully." Agreement and consensus are important in reaching conclusions and in achieving the necessary support to carry out complex, important policies. However, as with all things human, they cannot be followed blindly. Nor are they the ultimate consideration for deciding all important questions. -- p. 37

Finally, we can state some rules of thumb ....

·Seek the obvious, but do everything in your power to challenge and even ridicule it.

·Question all constraints. The most limiting constraints in building a model or a representation of a problem are usually imposed not by the problem itself but by the mindset of the problem solver.

·Challenge as many assumptions about the problem and the model as possible. Remember that what seems self-evident to the problem formulator is not always evident to others.

·Question the scope or the definition of a problem or model. Frequently what is omitted from the statement of a problem or model is more important than what is included.

·Question whether a problem is to be "solved," "resolved," or "dissolved." There are important differences between "solving," "resolving," or "dissolving" a problem. They are not necessarily the same. To "solve" a problem means to produce an exact or optimal solution to it. To "resolve" a problem means to seek a solution that is "good enough." On the other hand, to "dissolve a problem is to realize that there may be some other problem that is more important to focus one's attention on. The old or initial problem may still exist but may not be as important in the broader scope of things.

·Finally question the logic itself. Being logical and being right are not always the same. The more logical a solution to a complex problem sounds, the more strongly it deserves to be challenged. -- p. 47-48