Re: Certification (not terribly long)

[Bonni Graham <bonnig -at- IX -dot- NETCOM -dot- COM>]

>Do I think you and Bonnie and Grant and the other Certification people
>have a hidden agenda, wanting desperately to get clods like me out of
>the profession? No.

Just a small clarification--I'm NOT in favor of certification.  That
was my take on the STC video program, that's been my take on this list.
I have in the past said that I thought certification might be a good
idea, but have since rethought that position, precisely because I now
feel that certification would be unnecessarily exclusionary.

Other than that, great post, Arlen!

From Judith Blackbourn:

"Here's my worry -- I don't have a college degree. So even though the
local STC chapter has awarded me a Best of Show the last two years, I
wouldn't be qualified for a certificate!"

This is not an unreasonable fear, and one that's shared by many of us.
If an education requirement is put in place, that leaves out those who
don't have one -- many of whom are fine writers.  Depending on *what*
degree is required (now, remember I'm speaking hypothetically -- any
certifying body may end up not requiring one at all), it may very well
leave out a large portion of the rest of us.  I have a degree -- in
Creative Writing.  Am I unqualified to write about technical material?
Gosh, my customers don't seem to think so.

Tim Alton states that we are not a profession unless we create and
enforce standards.  Assuming that's true, and I'm not entirely
convinced that the enforcement part is (at least as regards
certification -- let's not forget how powerful simple peer pressure can
be), let's create some -- but let's do that FIRST, and then see if
practitioners are adhering to them anyway.

I'm just not hearing a great cry from my customers and potential
customers about certification.  When/if I do, I'll rethink my position.

Bonni Graham
Manual Labour
bonnig -at- ix -dot- netcom -dot- com