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Subject:Re: Question about LEDs From:Marguerite Krupp <Marguerite_Krupp -at- BAYNETWORKS -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 11 Aug 1998 14:04:29 -0400
OK, here's one of my best LED stories (and who but a tech writer or
engineer would have a stock of those?):
A co-worker was writing about interpreting the system status based on the
LEDs on a process control display panel. Within a list of LED identifiers
and states, he wrote something like this: "The <mumble> LED is a blinker."
Because this was an international company, he sent the document off to
review in England and Europe. An English reviewer objected: "Can't call
the <mumble> LED a blinker. In the U.K., a 'blinker' is a guy with a
raincoat and sneakers and nothing else on. Suggest you try 'flasher.'"
The U.S. writer wrote back: "Can't use 'flasher.' In the U.S., a "flasher"
is a 'blinker.'"
The whole thing went all the way up to the president of the company, who
wrote that "the LED in question will be described as 'an indicator which is
alternately illuminated and extinguished.'"