Definition Of Meta
meta
A metasyntactic variable [http://www.nightflight.com/cgi-bin/foldoc.cgi?metasyntactic+variable] (e.g. FOO) is a variable in notation used to describe syntax, and MetaLanguage is a language used to describe language (e.g. BNF).
For example, a metasyntax is syntax for specifying syntax, metalanguage is a language used to discuss language, meta-data is data about data, and meta-reasoning is reasoning about reasoning.
MetaData is "data about data." IE: Data that the system uses to determine how other data is processed.
This is difficult to explain briefly, but much hacker humour turns on deliberate confusion between meta-levels.
(The above is primarily from FOLDOC, the FreeOnLineDictionaryOfComputing at http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/foldoc.cgi?query=meta&action=Search)
Some more down to earth examples:
- meta thinking is thinking about thinking
- a meta plan is a plan about planning
- a meta discussion is a discussion about discussion
- meta processing is processing of processes
Hmm, writing this it looks to me, that this is rather the format "meta-X is X about X", not "meta-X is data about X". Either these are two readings of "meta" or the data must have a special quality or the candidates for X must be data.