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Subject:Re: Are We Certifiable? :) From:Alexia Prendergast <alexiap -at- SEAGATESOFTWARE -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 17 Jun 1997 10:45:13 -0400
More thoughts on certification...
But first, a quick analogy: Running. (Bear with me.)
Some folks like to run because the act of running
gives them pleasure. Some folks need more concrete
incentives like marathons or other external measures.
Sick folks, all of them. Be couch potatoes.
(No, no, I'm just kidding, that's not my point.
I don't know *where* that came from! ;)
My point is that what motivates a person differs
from person to person and is not "good" or "bad".
(OK, in this case, a cattle prod might be "bad".)
One is not a better runner than another based on
whether or not s/he runs marathons.
If "certification" is used in the
same way -- optional for folks who feel better
having it -- than I have no argument. It's probably
not something I would choose to do because I have
other measures of my competence as a tech writer and
it's not something that would make me think one person
is a better writer than another. I'd be more interested
in the fact that a person was interested in continuously
learning new things than whether or not they got
certified for it.
I do, however, have an argument if certification is
something that would be promoted as *the* measure
of technical writers and that tech writers without
certification are not competent.
I still have questions about the practical implementation
of the test. I think these questions will necessarily
make certification more a feel-good thing than a
professional requirement.
Alexia
PS. I must say, this discussion has raised my curiosity
about the positions that the next round of STC
candidates are going to take on this issue...
I need a new bumper sticker:
"I'm against professional TW certification and I vote" ;)
--
Alexia Prendergast
Senior Technical Writer, non-runner
Seagate Software
alexiap -at- sems -dot- com
>----------
>From: George F. Hayhoe[SMTP:george -at- GHAYHOE -dot- COM]
>Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 1997 9:50 AM
>To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>Subject: Are We Certifiable? :)
>
>Is it desirable? Maybe; maybe not.
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