Re: FWD: STC: Response to comments about Annual Conference Program

["Kyle Kimberlin" <kyle_kimberlin -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

I think trying to certify tech writers is impossible.  Accountants and union
carpenters all have a core set of highly testable skills, I suppose.
Doctors meet the requirements of the MD at a specific university.   But if
you have a damaged aorta, better to have a board certified thoracic surgeon
than your family physician.

Tech writers' skill consist generally of the ability to write concisely.
Beyond that, we all write about different things; our knowledge sets vary as
does technology.  Even our tools are different:  Some use Word, others
WordPerfect, FrameMaker, Photoshop or Corel, Illustrator or AutoCAD, Front
Page or Dreamweaver.

IMHO, you might as well try to certify artists.

Kyle Kimberlin
Technical Writer
Digital Instruments, Veeco Metrology Group
Santa Barbara, CA. USA




 Bruce Byfield wrote:

 > Properly handled, certification could be useful to potential employers.
> They could expect a certain a minimal standard, just as they could when
> choosing a doctor, an accountant, or a union carpenter.

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