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Subject:RE: white paper - let's try again. From:"whitedh" <whitedh -at- comcast -dot- net> To:"'TECHWR-L'" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 22 Jan 2004 10:33:41 -0500
The origin of the term is British, specifically British government. The
bureaus, over time, accepted a hierarchy of papers organized by the color of
the cover, so that a White Paper became synonymous with high-level analyses
of topics important to the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, Exchequer,
Defense, etc. Politicians, diplomats, bureau Secretaries, and (finally)
journalists used the term with ease. It became a part of the lexicon.
Who knows when the first person in the industry called his or her research
or analysis a "white paper?" Did that author draw upon his or her experience
in academe? Government? History? Perhaps the author presented it to a
professional society. People in the tech sector are not immune to the
misappropriation or misapplication of words for ostentatious purposes.
Donald H. White
Senior Technical Communicator
STC, IEEE PCS
804.795.2914
jamesrivercom -at- comcast -dot- net
