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Subject:RE: A dark take on Tech Writing...do you agree? From:"Combs, Richard" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com> To:"Leonard C. Porrello" <Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- SoleraTec -dot- com>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Thu, 6 Nov 2008 15:31:21 -0700
Leonard C. Porrello wrote:
> I think the original poster's ideas were informed by this observation:
> "With the spread during the Enlightenment of the idea of progress and
of
> the habits of individualist self-betterment, careers became possible,
if
> not expected" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Career).
>
> If you're doing the exact thing 10 years from now as you did 10 years
> ago, I don't think you could call that progress.
Straw man. Gene wasn't talking about "doing the exact thing" for
decades, he mentioned "growing."
I've been a tech writer for 20 years. Management doesn't suit my
personality, skills, or preferences, and I have no desire to change
professions.
But I'm neither doing the same thing nor exhibiting the same depth and
breadth of skill that I did 20 years ago. I've grown in my profession,
progressed, and bettered myself. I don't need a different job title to
tell me that, or to confirm that it's been a career.
IMHO, YMMV, etc.
Richard
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
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rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
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