Why do we use the word "protocol"?

[J. A. Kiernan]

In article <0098F5A5.97EFBDE0 at Msu.oscs.montana.edu> uvsmr at Msu.oscs.montana.edu (Matt Rognlie) writes:
>Subject: Why do we use the word "protocol"?

>This has interested me for some time.  If you look up the word "protocol" in a
>good dictionary, it has nothing to do with "scientific procedures".  Why are
>we using this word, then?  

It is one of those words that should NEVER be used by scientists; almost
as bad as the execrable "model" and the utterly abominable "paradigm" and
many others. There is no shortage of real words with simple meanings, and
no need to pollute the literature with emetic buzz-words.

                                     John A. Kiernan
                                     Department of Anatomy
                                     Univ. of Western Ontario
                                     LONDON, Canada  N6A 5C1
                                     e-mail: jkiernan at julian.uwo.ca