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Subject:Re: Engineering approach to certification From:Tracy Boyington <tracy_boyington -at- OKVOTECH -dot- ORG> Date:Wed, 18 Nov 1998 07:51:37 -0600
To me, the problems with the certification concept have always been that
(a) the occupation is too diverse for one standard (although a few
techwhirlers don't believe it, some of us *don't* document hardware or
software) and (b) a few are terrified that the evil Writers Who Don't
Come From My Background will get to decide what gets tested. But now I
think I have the answer.
Merit badges. Learn HTML, get your HTML merit badge. Grammar experts get
the grammar merit badge. Done online help? Here's your online help merit
badge. You know Perl? You get a Perl merit badge. We can wear them to
job interviews, conferences, and STC meetings -- heck, we could even sew
them onto an Official Tech Writer Blazer -- and if an employer needs
someone who knows grammar, desktop publishing, RoboHelp, and C++, they
can simply scan you for the appropriate merit badges.
