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Just to put a non-software spin on the validate/verify discussion.... Several
years ago, I worked for an aerospace company (United Technologies, Hamilton
Standard Division), and we also distinguished between validating and verifying
manuals. Darned if I can remember which was which, but the distinction was that
one involved testing a manual in our own shop, with our own equipment, and a
qualified Hamilton Standard employee; the other was a test at a customer's
site, with the customer's equipment and people. The two conditions were not
necessarily the same. Depending on how flight-critical a component was, its
manual might get one or both tests.
