Give Me a Clear Thinker (was STC certification: what's in it for tech writers?)

[Steven Jong <stevefjong -at- comcast -dot- net>]

Chris Despopoulos posted a long and interesting essay on technical writing as a trade. My understanding is that we're more than a trade because we have a code of ethics. A tradesman will do something stupid if the client demands it ("it's your money"); a professional won't.

Anyway, at the end Chris says:

> I think this finally hits on what bothers me about the certification thing...  It tests application within a domain, but where is the test for native ability?

To this I have an answer: we require written commentaries. If you work with beautiful templates and processes and can whip out a company-standard document, but you can't think your way out of a paper bag, we expect to pick that up when evaluating the written commentaries.

                -- Steve

-- 
Steven Jong, Chairman
STC Certification Commission
http://www.stc.org/education/certification/certification-main

mailto:SteveFJong -at- comcast -dot- net
mobile:978-413-2553

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
-- Margaret Mead

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