Tech Writer Lawsuit; STC position?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Donald H. White noted: <<It doesn't surprise me that the attorney for  
STC advised the Society leaders to be completely silent on the  
matter, up to and including refusal to provide names of Society  
members as potential interviewees.>>

I can understand it too from a purely pragmatic perspective. It's  
likely to be a messy lawsuit, and STC can't afford getting dragged  
into a long court battle. Lawyers aren't cheap, and it's foolish to  
visit a modern courtroom without a lawyer to hold your hand.

<<Still, overall, it's gutless. It's gutless to not make a decision,  
instead holding to the reason that someone else advised them not to  
say anything. The Society is not a party to the suit and shouldn't  
become one, I guess.>>

Reluctantly, I must agree. This is exactly the kind of situation  
where STC should be shouting from the rooftops: "This is who we are,  
this is why we're important, and this is what happens when that  
importance is trivialized or outright ignored." Whether or not STC is  
or should be party to the suit, they should certainly step forward to  
provide expert witnesses and, not incidentally, gather in all  
possible publicity that can be gathered.

STC should always try to play a role in establishing legal precedents  
that protect technical communicators and establish our importance and  
legal rights. This is what professional associations do all the time,  
and it's a shame we aren't doing it.

Again, I recognize that STC is going through difficult times, both  
financially and in terms of reorganizations and staffing. But  
important opportunities should not be missed.


----------------------------------------------------
-- Geoff Hart
ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca / geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com
www.geoff-hart.com
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