A320 CAPTAIN BELIEVES MEL ITEM IS INCORRECT AND MAINT AGREES. LEARNS THE ITEM DESCRIPTION IS SUBJECT TO EASY MISINTERPRETATION.

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IN THE FLT PAPERS THERE WAS A DEFERRED ITEM WHICH STATED THE L AFT SLIDE INDICATION INOP ON DOOR-OXY ECAM PAGE. THE PROB WAS THAT WHEN THE SLIDE WAS ARMED THE ECAM PAGE DID NOT SHOW AN ARMED INDICATION. THE MEL ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEFERRAL; DID NOT MAKE SENSE WHEN I READ IT. IT SEEMED TO BE FOR A SITUATION IN WHICH THE DOOR INDICATION NOT THE SLIDE WAS MALFUNCTIONING. I CALLED MAINT AND THE CTLR AGREED IT WAS THE INCORRECT MEL AND ISSUED A NEW MEL. THIS MEL PLACARD STATED THE ACFT WAS NOT TO BE OPERATED AT NIGHT; WHICH I BELIEVE HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE THE NIGHT BEFORE. ALSO SOMEONE NEEDS TO REWRITE THE MEL THAT RELATES TO A SLIDE INDICATION MALFUNCTION. MEL HAS MISLEADING AND INCORRECT INFO IN IT. IT STATES THE PLACARD IS FOR AN ECAM 'NOT ARMED' SLIDE INDICATION INOP. THE PROB IS THAT THE 'ARMED' SLIDE INDICATION IS INOP. ALSO STEP B STATES TO VERIFY THE SLIDE ARMED LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED. THIS LIGHT IS ONLY ILLUMINATED WHEN THE SLIDE IS ARMED AND THE DOOR HANDLE IS MOVED. SOMETHING YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO WHEN A SLIDE IS ARMED. PLEASE HAVE SOMEONE LOOK INTO THE WORDING FOR THIS PLACARD AND SEE IF THE ACFT WAS ILLEGALLY DISPATCHED BEFORE MY FLT DUE TO AN INCORRECT MEL PLACARD.