Memo of the Month

...The problem i s only compounded when a s e n t e n c e contains three words connected by two s l a s h e s , thereby permitting seven p o s s i b i l i t i e s. 2. Research i n t o t h i s subject r e v e a l s nothing that e x p l a i n s the use of the s l a s h as d i s c u s s e d above...

...however, there are many i n s t a n c e s where t h i s l i b e r al i n t e r p r e t a t i o n makes no s e n s e , i . e . , the i n t e r p r e t a t i o n must be l i m i t e d to e i t h e r and or or...

...or (3) i n the e x p r e s s i o n and/or, i n d i c a t i n g that the words may be used i n t e r c h a n g e a b l y . No i n t e r p r e t a t i o n could be found for the use of the s l a s h in the s e n t e n c e , "The s y s t em contained r a d a r / m a n u a l / o p t i c a l c o n t r o l s ." 3. To avoid m i s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n in our w r i t i n g (to i n c l u d e a l l forms of w r i t t en communications), the use of the s l a s h (sometimes c a l l e d a diagonal or v i r g u l e ) w i ll h e n c e f o r t h be r e s t r i c t e d to i t s use that i n d i c a t e s d i v i s i o n or i n the e x p r e s s i on and/or where the w r i t e r intends to provide the reader with three options as i n the s e n t e n c e , "Robert and/or James w i l l g o . " This sentence means that Robert may g o , that James may g o , or that Robert and James may g o . 4. Supervisors w i l l see that t h i s r e s t r i c t i o n on the use of the s l a s h r e c e i v e s the widest d i s s e m i n a t i o n w i t h i n FSTC and that the r e s t r i c t i o n i s understood and adhered t o by a l l personnel...

...Memo of the Month DISPOSITION FORM 1. The use of the s l a s h (/) in FSTC p u b l i c a t i o n s — t o include l e t t e r s , messages, t r ip r e p o r t s , s t u d i e s , and o t h e r forms of w r i t t e n communications—has become so p r o l i f ic t h a t , i n most i n s t a n c e s , the reader i s unable to understand e x a c t l y what the w r i t e r is attempting to s a y . When q u e s t i o n e d , the w r i t e r u s u a l l y w i l l s t a t e that the i n t e n t is for the s l a s h t o be i n t e r p r e t e d as p e r m i t t i n g the use of e i t h e r of the two words connected by the s l a s h , or both...

...One p u b l i c a t i o n i n d i c a t e d that the s l a s h (/) could be used (1) in c e r t a i n a b b r e v i a t i o n s , such as B/L f o r b i l l of lading ( t h i s i s not i n agreement with AR 3 1 0 - 5 0 , however, which s p e c i f i e s BL f o r b i l l of l a d i n g ) ; (2) t o i n d i c a t e d i v i s i o n, such as 4/5 or 40 cm/s...