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Subject:More on Degreed, Nondegreed, or Whatever From:"Vollbach, Elizabeth" <evollbach -at- CCLINK -dot- LOGICON -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 2 Jun 1994 10:23:14 PST
As I've noted before, although I do have a BA, I am an accidental tech
writer. So, I noted, I feel it unnecessary to insult a tech writer
without a degree. I should also have noted that it is unnecessary for
a nondegreed tech writer to insult those with degrees.
We become tech writers with and without degrees, and with degrees in
various areas. I have been in the position, often, of feeling that I
had to defend myself for having a degree to tech writers who did not
and insisted that a college degree was nothing more than a piece of
expensive paper, and for having a BA to tech writers who had a BS and
insisted that someone who writes about technology ought to major in
technology. And I have also heard tech writers with a BA insist that
those with a BS may have learned technology in college but their
writing isn't worth beans.
I haven't been guilty of that last because I know it isn't true. And
I also know I shouldn't have to defend my degree or that it's a BA.
Why is it that so many tech writers insist the way they did it is the
only right way? This is rude, and the next time I find myself in that
defensive position, I think I'll say so.
