Re: Proud Non-Member of STC

[Lisa Higgins <lisarea -at- DRUAK -dot- DR -dot- LUCENT -dot- COM>]

I am not Bruce Byfield, but I play him on television, so I feel that
I am qualified to answer.

I joined the STC in college and stuck around for a few years after
that. I went to meetings and read the journal and blah blah blah.

Some of the reasons I quit are as follows:

1. My local chapter was pretty much a vendor forum. We were subjected
to excruciating sales presentations on things like PAPER and SCREEN
CAPTURE TOOLS. I'm not kidding. Paper. Was anybody else at that one?
I was the one lying flat on my back in the middle of the floor
screaming, "STOP! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE STOP!!!"

2. I was humiliated by one too many poorly written, poorly
researched, and plain wrong article in the journal.

3. Tech writers just make my butt itch. I am dead serious. One at a
time, they're fine. But boy oh boy, you get a bunch of them in one
place, and it's like somebody rubbing styrofoam on your teeth or
something. They can talk for HOURS and DAYS and MONTHS and YEARS
about the stupidest and most trivial things I have ever heard. You
know what I'm talking about, too, but I am not bringing any of the
lukewarm "hot tech writing topics" up, because YOU PEOPLE DO IT,
TOO!!! GAAARRRRR!!!

Seriously, though, I can see the value in being an STC member, and if
you think it's worth your while, that's a good thing. But it
shouldn't become a status thing. It's optional. If it's worth
something to you, do it; but if it's not worth much to you, you
shouldn't feel compelled to spend money on it.

Yours,
Bruce Byf ^W^W
Lisa Higgins.
lisarea -at- druak -dot- dr -dot- lucent -dot- com