[superfist]

1. You are correct, there are two different perspectives: 1. designer of channel (what most of Shannon work is about) and it deals with what you called 'potential information' and 2. message receiver/sender perspective.

2. True

3. Very true, using psychological terms like 'surprise' or in general psychological terms in strict theories is very often misleading but tempting becasue any reader can always contribute something (like own interpretation) to such theories so later he is personly/emotionaly bounded to it more.