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>>
>>Always do stupid tasks badly with a smile. You will not be asked again.
>>
>Excuse me?
<snip>
>If it is beneath your dignity to take your turn at these tasks, just whose
dignity is it
>above?
<snip>
>Sure. We all want to be respected for our professional skills and the
quality of the work
>we turn out. And it is appropriate to resist stereotyping. If someone says,
"hey, you're
>just a tech writer. You should be the one to make the coffee every
morning," you have every
>reason and right to resist. But to refuse on principle because you're too
important to take
>out the trash? Get off it.
Thank you, Dick.
Last night, as I was relating some gems from this thread to my mother, I
figured out one of the things that was really irking me about this whole
discussion. In the midst of carping about the lack of respect for tech
writers were several sneering references to "menial" tasks that ought to be
done by "admins" or "secretaries." If we want respect for our professional
selves we surely ought to have respect for the work of others. If not, maybe
we can get a bulk discount on hats with the big "H" for hypocrite.
As to that whole passive/aggressive "put salt in the coffee" crowd -- you're
advertising yourself as childish, spineless, and self-important. Do you
really think that no one else is clever enough to see that? If you have
enough self-respect to put an honest effort into any task you're given,
others will respect you, too. Or, as my mother would say, "Grow up."
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