Keeping the audience in mind

[Elna Tymes <etymes -at- LTS -dot- COM>]

Folks -

The rather emotional exchanges this week have prompted me to say
something on the board that I've been saying privately for months.  I
*wish* people who post here would realize that their messages are being
seen by who-knows-how-many other professionals in the field, and that
intemperate posts can carry a long-term price.

I happen to be an employER, and I hire technical writers from time to
time.  In most cases, my recognizing an applicant as someone whose posts
I've read here will give them an initial advantage - their messages will
have given me an idea of how they communicate.  In a very few cases, my
impression of someone who's written here will be negative, to the extent
that I won't keep their resume because I'd not want to waste my time
interviewing them.

I'm certainly not saying that I won't consider someone with whom I've
disagreed.  In fact, sometimes a person clearly expressing a viewpoint
opposite from mine will make me pause and rethink my own position.  The
business of our industry niche is communication, and  a well considered
post illustrates how the author communicates.

However, business usually takes place in settings that require people to
work together.  Thus if I see someone who persists in violating the
rules - and like it or not, this is Eric's sandbox; thus if you don't
like his rules, don't play here - I see someone who would rather be
right than effective, and I have limited tolerance for that.  As an
employer, I can't have in my employ people who allow their own bigotry
in any form get in the way of their being able to effectively work with
all sorts of people.  I stand to lose lawsuits, for instance, if I allow
sexist or racist comments or behavior to interfere with the ability of
my employees to get their work done.  Therefore if I see someone utter
something sexist or racist on this board, with no apology or retraction
in short order, that person's name winds up in my short mental category
of folks I would never hire, because that person has demonstrated a lack
of the type of consideration for others that I consider basic to
employment in our company.

Likewise, I've learned to be careful about what I post here - or
anywhere else on the internet.  My company has gotten a fair amount of
business based on other companies finding out about us or about me or my
partner via things they have seen on the 'net and deciding that we could
do something productive for them.  I'm not about to post something for
world-wide publication that would give an unprofessional impression of
our company.

I just wish others who post here would realize that *any* message they
post here is being read by potential employers.

Elna Tymes, president
Los Trancos Systems


 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=