Re: Certification--a new concept. Discuss

[David Neeley <dbneeley -at- gmail -dot- com>]

One reason tech writers can't settle on a definition of the corpus of
knowledge necessary to be tested for any real certification is that we
have such difficulty with words--despite being writers.

Of course, this isn't entirely our fault since words--unlike
mathematics, say--are often equivocal.

Let's take this statement from a recent post:

> By definition, techical writing is not a profession. Many years of highly
> specialized education is not required for technical writing, and that is a
> basic description of what "profession" refers to.
> 
> Being a professional technical writer or a professional technical editor is
> not the same thing as being a member of the technical writing profession,
> primarily because there is no such profession.

However, that statement relies upon a misleading notion of what a
"profession" is--it is far too limited to one particular definition.
For example, the Cambridge Dictionary of American English says:

"profession
noun [C/U] 
any type of work, esp. one that needs a high level of education or a
particular skill
the medical/teaching profession
I'm a writer by profession."

If it were true that technical writing were not a profession, then
surely the Cambridge authors are mistaken totally with their example
involving just "writers."

I offer this example not to attempt to embarrass anyone, but to point
out that the "soft" disciplines such as English or the humanities are
far more difficult to pin down to any easy method of measurement.

Furthermore, our methods of describing what "good writing" might be
are limited and too often imprecise. Thus, attempts to produce any
sort of meaningful certification must focus on tools and basic skill
in areas such as organization and grammar...or be judged in part at
least by subjective means.

However, to say the problem is difficult is not to say it should not
be undertaken. To say that *your* view of certification may be
jaundiced is not to say that it might not become meaningful in the
hiring arena.

Many people view this issue from what appears to be a wrong
perspective--which is, I believe, what Dick was speaking about when he
began the thread. In the end, certification and professional societies
will continue to be what we make them--and will only become truly
meaningful to others as we begin to take them seriously.

I believe it is highly unlikely that any sort of general consensus
will result in a workable certification. Instead, if it is to happen,
it will be because a few people will institute it and many others will
go along--however grudgingly.

The simple fact that this is such a recurring topic and is
participated in by so many on the list may be signal enough that it is
high time we quit complaining and got to work making it happen.

David

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