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Bill Swallow
[...]
> You're going to find morons everywhere. They hold PMPs, MBAs, PhDs,
> MDs... By the arguments some are making here, any kind of achievement
> that comes with a title or resignation isn't worth it because there
> are some idiots out there who somehow also get one.
The problem that I see is politics.
As more than one person has pointed out, STC is not currently
a big, bad, world-straddling organization with fingers and
operatives everywhere.
It's a bunch of people with some common/shared interests,
trying to bring some organization and improvements, and
mostly doing good or aiming to.
In order to do good on a wide scale, you need clout.
To achieve clout, you need:
a) lotsa members and money
b) recognition as an authority or source of good, reliable info
and services.
Then you have the chicken-and-egg situation where growth
requires visibility and money, and visibility and money
require growth.
People who will make big things happen will be politically
adept and politically motivated.
Unfortunately, the very nature of politicking is deal-making
and compromise.
The more we publicize the possible negatives at an early stage,
the less chance that somebody energetic and committed will be
tempted to compromise in hurtful ways - sell the farm - in
their quest to make the organization into something big enough
and influential enough to matter on the world stage (with the
political go-getter at the top of the heap...).
So, for example, 'morons' hold certifications because safeguards
are not in place in their respective industries and institutions
to ensure that they are screened out. There might be rigorous
testing for specific knowledge and skills, but it obviously
leaves out important areas if it still passes 'morons'.
Safeguards are not in place because:
a) it was deemed too costly at the start to "do it right", and
we'll fix the holes later... but later never comes because the
longer something is entrenched... the more difficult and costly
it is to dig out - the more people have a stake in it not changing
or
b) a political trade was made - leave some loopholes that'll let
Moby get in, 'cuz Moby's brother has some pull in high places
that we need right now
or
c) it's easiere to do politicking in private, without a lot
of light shining on the sausage-making process, so there's
less/no scrutiny by people who might have some valid
objections to how stuff gets implemented
or
d) lack of talent, skill, or brains didn't prevent Buzz from
getting his PhD because Buzz has an uncle with a research wing/chair
named after him (and his endowment checkbook).
Certification (both of writers and of training programs) might
be a great way to raise both the utility and the profile of
STC, gain it a lot of new members, money, and influence (clout).
I just want to help ensure that such a venture is as clean,
non-subjective, and above suspicion as possible from the start.
And that it doesn't screw whole groups who don't fit a particular
mold. (How _about_ those folks writing classified docs? You can
review my portfolio, but I'd have to kill you.)
I'm at the point in my "career" that it doesn't much matter
to me personally. The most optimistic projection of STC
implementing a program, having it catch on, having people
flock to membership, and having industries embrace the system...
would still have me retired on a beach before it might ever
directly affect me.
Y'know that quote about all it takes for evil to triumph
is for good people to remain silent? Substitute "mediocrity"
for "evil", and it still applies. Of course I might not
be "good people", but it's a loose parallel... :-)
- Kevin
(! I chose "Buzz" because I didn't think anybody in the list
had that as a real given name. Hope I didn't unintentionally
stigmatize a TW with a PhD, LL.D, LL.B, JD, etc. Similarly,
if your real name is Moby, you have my sympathy and apology... and a recording career that's been going nowhere for a while.)
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