Re: STC Job listings -Reply

[Tom Johnson <johnsont -at- FREEWAY -dot- NET>]

Just because an organization is non-profit doesn't mean they have to
give things away. There is a cost to produce articles and conference
proceedings. If you pay to go to a conference, you get a copy of the
proceedings. If you don't go to the conference and you want the
proceedings, you pay for them separately. That's pretty simple. If STC
owns a car, do you expect them to let any member or non-member use it
for free. Even non-profits can have ownership and the associated rights.

I'm fortunate because my employer pays for my dues. After being a member
for a couple years, I would try very hard to find a way to pay for my
dues if I were on my own.

I can't attend chapter meetings (200 miles away), but going to
conferences has really been a great benefit, especially meeting other
TWs. Being a lone writer can be lonely and STC gives me opportunities to
keep in touch with other writers. STC and this list both are important
in keeping my professional development on the tracks.

The way I figure things, if I find one article per year that increases
my productivity, or helps me avoid one pitfall, the dues have paid for
themselves.

Bill Sullivan wrote:
>
> Since STC is a 501(c)(3) organization that cannot publish job
> listings for the exclusive use of its members, how come things like
> STC Conference Proceedings are so expensive? And why do I get the
> impression that  Intercom articles, Journal of TC articles, and
> chapter newsletter articles cannot be copied or otherwise passed
> around?  Why can't the STC put these things up on the Internet where
> people who are interested can download them and benefit from them?
> And the STC SIGs and their newsletters and email discussion groups?
> Can they be legitimately made exclusive?
>
> I like what they are doing in Santa Barbara, where the STC Chapter
> recently hosted the Region 8 conference. They've got a web site,
> http://www.stc.org/region8/snb/reg8conf/
> where you can download many of the conference papers and send for the
> CD with the proceedings (for a nominal fee of 10 bucks -- nothing like
> the outrageous fee that STC demands for its conference proceedings).
> I'd like to see the STC do this with its annual conference.
>
<snip>
> Bill Sullivan
> bsullivan -at- email -dot- exide -dot- com
>

--
Tom Johnson
Technical Writer
Elk Rapids Engineering - A Division of Star Cutter Company

business mailto:johnsont -at- starcutter -dot- com
personal mailto:tjohnson -at- grandtraverse -dot- com
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My opinions are still my own.