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> In my line of work (medical devices), the meaning of "unvalidated" is
> crystal clear. If that's true only for one industry, then
> let's call it
> jargon and I'll stop hockin' the dictionaries' chainik.
>
> On the other hand, if its meaning is clear over a broad range of
> technical fields (your NIST example below) then it's an omission.
Ok, if a word is in frequent use in your industry, and isn't a stupidity (many words that occur on radio and TV are stupidities in the sense that somebody mis-heard or mispronounced something at some point and others have been slavishly mimicing ever since) then you use the word as found. People expect it and know what you mean when you use it. All together now: nook-you-lur!
But my question was aimed at the larger context of how we use the language in technical communication.
If I have a word that indicates a condition or state or attribute, and then I have reason to mention the "not" of that condition, and if "the not validated HSMs" is rather awkward-sounding and awkward to scan, then do some list members think I can/should use "unvalidated"? Or should I use "non-validated"? Or should I use some other prefix that eludes me just now? Or should I stick with "the not validated HSMs" regardless of how clunky?
Generalize to any other word-and-prefix combo you think would make a good example or a good point.
As for me, I just go with "unvalidated".
- Kevin
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