Understanding evolution of information systems by applying the general definition of information

Information Systems are continuously evolved for a very long time. Problems with evolving such systems stem from insufficient or outdated documentation, people no longer being available, different (often old) hardware and software technologies being interconnected, and short-term solutions becoming permanent. Crucial for successful evolution of Information Systems is to understand the data and information of the system. This paper argues that some of the fundamental concepts and consequences of the General Definition of Information (GDI), presented by the field of Philosophy of Information, can be a complement to approaches such as "data mining" and "data reverse engineering". By applying GDI it becomes possible for the maintainers of Information Systems to ask important questions about the system that can guide the work in a pragmatic way. GDI can become a useful tool that improves the evolution process.