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Mindy (mkale -at- GPS -dot- COM) has a valid comment:
>My other latest beef: writers insist on describing numbers that aren't valid
>as "invalid." Does an invalid number need a wheelchair?
Hm. Never thought of that before. I have a BS in Mathematics; numbers were
invalid *all* the *time* back in my college days. (Just look at one of my
Discrete & Combinatorial Mathematics finals! Sheesh.) "Valid" and "invalid"
are part of the mathematics terminology.
My American Heritage Dictionary has two entries for "invalid". The first,
which lists the "a" sound as schwa, means "a chronically ill or disabled
person." The second, which lists the "a" sound as in "pat", means "not
legally or factually valid; null."
Users of our software are pretty much computer experts, often developers.
They know the lingo, so using "invalid" is clear and brief. When writing for
a not-necessarily-computer-literate user, though, I choose terms they're more
likely to understand.
Even then, I can argue that it's often better to just tell 'em what the
*right* value range is, which avoids this whole issue entirely!
Peace,
jim grey
--
jim grey |"Ain't nothin' better in the world, you know
jwg -at- acd4 -dot- acd -dot- com |Than lyin' in the sun, listenin' to the radio" - D. Boone
jimgrey -at- delphi -dot- com|GO/M d p+ c++(-) l u+ e- m*@ s+/ n+ h f++ g- w+@ t+ r- y+(*)
|ACD, Terre Haute, IN -- The Silicon Cornfield
