DECODING
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 835 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
The process of restoring original messages from the forms in which they were transmitted, stored or enciphered, by applying a suitable code“ (K. KRIPPENDORFF, 1986, p.22).
Of course, the decoder must know the sender's code. Decoding implies two levels: 1) the physical coherent restoration of the original signals (as in phones of TV sets) and, 2) the correct interpretation of the symbolic or semantic meaning of the message. In all cases, the code must be shared, even if the final result is a derived interpretation (as for instance in false colors maps).
Satisfactory decoding depends at least on the following three conditions:
- The existence of a limited amount of noise in the physical channel, as to maintain distortions to a minimum at the receivers end;
- the physical and physiological capacity of the receiver to pick up the message;
- the knowledge by the receiver of the sender's semantic and syntactic code.