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I think Bonnie has hit the nail on the head. Our publications department
is considered necessary from a legal standpoint, but not from an economic
one. Writers are seldom included in the mix when decisions are made, we
learn about changes in the units after one has been shipped and we
discover is doesn't have placards that conform to the information we were
given during the writing process. Or placards that should be identical
from one unit to another are not, because they were not cleared through a
central place in publications.
We are viewed as a necessary evil almost. It sometimes makes it very hard
to do the job right.
Marci
On Mon, 25 Dec 1995, Bonni Graham wrote:
> Certification isn't going to fix this problem, which I think is more
> pressing than our proving our abilities. We're simply not viewed as
> contributing to the bottom line, and until we are, we're not going to
> be viewed with respect or taken seriously as a profession, no matter
> how many certificates we have.