Thanks again to the 50+ people who helpfully (and courageously) sent in
answers - some with extensive comments - to the two questions I posed on
30th November. I think the trickle has just about dried up, and I shall
therefore shortly communicate the results (individually - to preserve
confidentiality) to all respondents. (Unfortunately I have some important
meetings relating to my department's microarray development work in the
next day or two, so I'm a little uncertain when I can do this.)
Two American commentators (who chose not to submit answers to the
questions) were critical of my assumption that only those who did were
interested in the topic, and wished to see the results of the exercise made
generally available to readers of the ACB mailbase. Though sympathetic to
their view, I have indicated to them that my first duty is to the people
who "devoted the 2 - 3 minutes of thought required to respond to the
questions posed in my original message". If those who did so feel the
results of the exercise are of general interest, I will post them for wider
viewing in due course (albeit not revealing respondents' identities).
I nevertheless think it permissible at this point to reveal the comment of
one distinguished and well known US respondent, who - referring to my
original message of the 30th November - wrote as follows (confirming my own
view that issues of the kind I raised are not merely of academic or
semantic interest, and that any objections to their recommendations should
be brought to the notice of organisations such as IUPAC and ISO):
>I've been surprised that professional organizations haven't voiced some
>opposition (to >these organizations recommendations on terminology), but
>the process doesn't seem to >involve professionals as much as "political"
>representatives. It may be that >professional organizations don't yet
>know what's coming and the potential havoc and >confusion that might
>result.
I agree.
The results of my "Christmas quiz" (as some have called it) amply
demonstrate the validity of this commentator's final point.
Roger Ekins
Molecular Endocrinology
UCL Medical School
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