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-----Original Message-----
From: Buck & Tilly Buchanan [SMTP:writer -at- DHC -dot- NET]
Sent: Friday, June 13, 1997 3:42 PM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: Certification
Bill wrote:
>Buck,
> I have to agree that the report was biased in favor of
certfication.
But I
>don't think it was unfair or inaccurate. If so, where? And, I don't
think
>that your personal attack adds much understanding to the issues.
Bill,
While the word "biased" is technically not a synonym for "unfair" or
"inaccurate", it is a pretty fair synonym for the following:
If you want to make a pitch in favor of certification, you're entirely
free to do so. But why not do it in the form of an editorial, so that
readers understand clearly that this is your opinion?
Since the "study" does not offer any statistics about what percentage
of respondents were in favor of or opposed to the certification
process, a reader who has not followed this discussion thread has only
the overall tone of the answers on which to base an opinion. Since the
"in favor" arguments were stated much more vigorously, a reader who
wasn't tuned in to the debate would logically assume that those
opposing certification were a bunch of nitwits ... not one of whom was
articulate enough to argue his or her way out of a paper bag.
In that respect, it does seem quite unfair.
Michael
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