A B737-200 WAS OPERATED SEVERAL DAYS IN REVENUE SVC WITH AN OPEN UNANSWERED LOGBOOK WRITE-UP.

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DURING PREFLT INSPECTION OF ACFT LOGBOOK; I NOTICED A MAINT WRITE-UP BY ANOTHER PLT FROM SEVERAL DAYS BACK. THE WRITE-UP WAS CONCERNING THE THIGH SUPPORTS ON THE FO'S SEAT NOT WORKING. THE WRITE-UP WAS NOT CLRED BY MAINT. IN THE PAST 10 DAYS WE HAVE JUST BEGUN USING A TOTALLY NEW LOGBOOK FORMAT; WHERE EVERYTHING ABOUT WRITE-UPS HAS BEEN MODIFIED. THE WRITE-UP ABOUT THE THIGH SUPPORTS (WHICH NEVER WORK ANYWAY) SEEMED TRIVIAL. THE TRIVIAL NATURE OF THE MAINT WRITE-UP COMBINED WITH LACK OF EXPERIENCE/TRAINING WITH THE ALL NEW LOGBOOK FORMAT LED ME TO BELIEVE THE WRITE-UP WAS ONLY AN 'INFO' WRITE-UP; USED FOR NOTIFICATION TO MAINT OF NON-CRITICAL DISCREPANCIES. WELL; IT WAS NOT AN 'INFO' WRITE-UP; AND WE FLEW THE JET WITH AN UNCLRED DISCREPANCY. THE PLT WHO PUT THE WRITE-UP IN THE LOGBOOK DID SO INCORRECTLY; AND NEVER TOLD ANYONE HE HAD. THIS IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE PROB; COMBINED WITH CONFUSION ABOUT HOW TO INTERPRET A NEW LOGBOOK FORMAT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A B737-200 AND THE LOGBOOK FORMAT IS NEW; LEADING TO SOME CONFUSION ON THE PART OF THE FLCS AND MAINT PERSONNEL.