RE: Naming NAME fields

Subject: RE: Naming NAME fields
From: "Andrew Warren" <awarren -at- synaptics -dot- com>
To: <mlist -at- safenet-inc -dot- com>, <DGoldstein -at- riverainmedical -dot- com>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 8 Nov 2006 12:02:15 -0800

mlist -at- safenet-inc -dot- com wrote:

> "First Name" and "Last Name" are _absolutely_ wrong for a couple
> of billion people on this planet, significant numbers of whom
> have emigrated to your country

So? Two lines further down, they'll be asked for "ZIP code";
in the time since arriving here, they'll presumably have learned
what THAT means, too.

You're right; "First" and "Last" aren't the terms used by much
of the world's population... But since those ARE the terms used
by the overwhelming majority of people in the US, it would be
foolish to use any others on forms intended for general use by
Americans.

> My friend Chu Yin Man is bright enough to figure out either one
> (being second-generation and all), but his barely-english-speaking
> relatives would read _your_ form literally, and type "Chu" (their
> family name) in your "First Name" field, and "Man" in your "Last
> Name" field, and your customers would have all their minimum-wage,
> script-reading, support people trying to contact "Mr. Man" or
> "Mrs. Man".

Thank goodness! That experience will be good training for the
Chus; from it, they'll learn what "First Name" and "Last Name"
mean in this country, long before they have to fill out any
IMPORTANT forms that use those terms... Like their income tax
returns, driver's-license applications, banking documents,
lease or mortgage agreements, etc.

-Andrew

=== Andrew Warren - awarren -at- synaptics -dot- com
=== Synaptics, Inc - Santa Clara, CA
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