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I think once again some members of this list are confusing issues with attacks.
Consider the following two statements:
STATEMENT A: STC is not a good representation of the tech writing profession.
vs.
STATEMENT B: John Doe of Providence, Rhode Island, an STC member, is a scum
sucking loser who you should never hire.
What is the difference between these two statements?
STATEMENT A is an assertion or a claim. It is an assessment (subjective) of the
goals, ideas, or practices of an institution. It is something to debate,
discuss, and analyze. You can disagree with this statement and explain why you
disagree.
STATEMENT B is a personal attack. It is a personal judgment of a individual
based on erroneous information. There is nothing to debate because it has
virtually no basis in fact.
When somebody says: "I think STC is on the wrong course and should be
dismantled" that person (namely me) is evaluating the merits of the
organization - not the individual members.
I think STC does not properly represent tech writers. Does that mean all you
STC members are a losers and must die. No. YOU are reading that into my words.
Just because YOU think it does not mean it is TRUE.
When I post to TECHWR-L, I post as a free man (I am not a number!). An
individual with a voice. I am not speaking for ANYBODY by myself. I don't even
speak for my company on TECHWR-L.
If you disagree with me, prove me wrong. Cite a million articles that prove me
wrong. Just be prepared to be challenged. That is how rhetoric works. I assert,
you challenge, I defend, you counter, we all learn.
Calling me names and saying I am "reckless" only shows knee-jerk reactionism to
the issue and does NOTHING to further the ideas. More than one person has been
thrown off this list for attacking me personally.
JUST BECAUSE A PERSON HAS A CONTROVERSIAL IDEA DOES NOT MEAN YOU GET THE
UNFETTERED RIGHT TO ATTACK THAT PERSON. I have thick and can stand people
calling me names. But I get the same protection under the list rules as
everybody else.
Yes, I am prone to hyperbole, exaggeration, and grandiose platitudes.
Demonstrate your technical communications prowess and use those weaknesses to
prove me wrong. I will concede my weaknesses quickly and look for common
ground.
Now, is STC the incarnate of pure evil. No. I think it has problems. I think it
needs refocusing. I also think that somebody should drop Clarence Thomas,
William Renquist, and Antonin Scalia in a vat of molten iron, but that's
another debate.
There is also a technical communications lesson in this. Remember that just
because you think something is true, does not mean it really is. You must prove
your ideas and concepts. Successful technical communication is really just good
rhetoric. It makes claims, backs up those claims, and then responds to the
dissenters.
If you want to call me names then please, do not bother the other list members
and send them to me personally. You are welcome to hate me for my opinions. You
are not welcome to bother the list to express that hate.
Arguments are the core of all wisdom. From division comes truth. The Socratic
Method has a long and respected tradition in intellectual discourse. If you are
unwilling to practice good rhetoric, then you cannot be taken seriously. This
goes for me too.
Now, as the man says: get back to work, you.
Andrew Plato
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