TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
A few jobs ago, I was writing a series of validation docs for a disease and
drug dictionary system being developed to track new drugs for pharmaceutical
firm. One of the corporate guidelines was:
"All test/validation data should be easily seen as being Test only data, and
BEAR NO RELATIONSHIP TO ACTUAL DATA." (Emphasis theirs).
This was taken by the jokers in validation as free license to create entire
families of drugs, diseases and test subjects.
A few of the low points:
Drugs: Halitosisin, injectable rhythm, nomenclature hydrochloride, yak
sweat.
Diseases: frogpox, decaf, terminal ennui, chronic fatal dromadrosis (with a
python boot), actue noelcowarditis.
Subjects: A. N. Other, M.T. Spacehelmet, A.D. Nauseum.
Later, after QA/QC testing and a review by the appropriate agencies, the
following note was received:
"The auditors commented on the fact that the test databases, with their
unique descriptions, not only met, but exceeded the scope of the intended
regulation. It is being added as a suggestion to the next validation update
circular that all test data reflect a degree of absurdity that will show
their direct incompatibility with actual test data."
Nothing that hadn't been done before, but the first time it was noticed for
what it was: a way to keep data clean and have a little fun.
Marc B
New World Systems
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Collect Royalties, Not Rejection Letters! Tell us your rejection story when you
submit your manuscript to iUniverse Nov. 6 -Dec. 15 and get five free copies of
your book. What are you waiting for? http://www.iuniverse.com/media/techwr
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
