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Ernie,
You are making the case that technical communicators have no certifiable
skills and that no agency is capable of certifying them. I agree, if you are
talking just about the technologies we write about. But don't we have other
skills that are stable enough to be certified? It is my position that it is
the obligation of the employer to teach us the technologies. What
preparation can give us is both the communication skills and the
technical-learning skills.
Bill DuBay
Technical Writer
Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
email: bill_dubay -at- phoenix -dot- com
(714)790-2049 FAX: (714)790-2001 http://www.phoenix.com
-------------
Original Text
From: "Tamminga, Ernie" <et -at- dsc -dot- com>, on 6/16/97 1:30 PM:
In general, I disagree with the whole "pro-certification" argument.
I could MAYBE (but not very likely) see a value in certification if and
when the technologies we write about, and the development tools that we
use in creating our publications, stop changing so fast... indeed, when
even the KINDS of media we publish on stop changing so fast.
Until then, I'll be extremely skeptical about whether a "certification"
test that is already old enough to have been written, edited,
committee-approved, set in stone and widely disseminated, will really
tell me anything about whether a candidate has the particular skills I
need for my NEW projects.
--------
Ernie Tamminga
Director, InfoEngineering
Digital Sound Corporation
-----------------------------------------------
Opinions expressed are my own, and not necessarily those of Digital
Sound Corporation
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bill DuBay [SMTP:bill_dubay -at- PHOENIX -dot- COM]
>Sent: Monday, June 16, 1997 11:47 AM
>To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>Subject: Certification Issues
>
>
><<snip>> To people who say that they are quite content in their existing
>situation
>and that certification has nothing to offer them, I say, "How long are you
>going to be content?" More important, "How long will your current employer
>and industry as a whole be content?" Wouldn't it benefit us all to have a
>process ready and waiting to help jump start a new direction in CW with new
>skills and career opportunities? That's the promise that an effective CW
>certification program could hold.
>
>
>Bill DuBay
>Technical Writer
>Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
>email: bill_dubay -at- phoenix -dot- com
>(714)790-2049 FAX: (714)790-2001
>http://www.phoenix.com
>
>
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