Re: Certification is absurd

Subject: Re: Certification is absurd
From: "Diane Evans" <diane_evans -at- hotmail -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 14:01:32 -0700


Now that Andrew has chimed in, I think that I will add my two cents worth...

1. Tech writers can't even agree on the MEANING of the word certification.

I agree. There are myriad types of tech writers. Just because I have never written a marketing document, does that mean I am not a tech writer?

4. Certification does not, necessarily, weed out the morons.

That is for sure. The lawyer that handled my first divorce was "certified." But, due to his incompetence, it took years to straighten out the mess he made. He could at least have told me there was a standard child support schedule, and that I could get the support amound raised without going back to court...

5. You can't certify people on generalized concepts.

I agree with this as well. Who is going to decide if the Functional Requirements Specification that I just wrote is up to certification standards? Especially if I can't share it with anyone outside of the building I work in.

6. The tech writing market is already flooded beyond capacity...The free market shall decide who is the best writers...and it is doing that right now.

Yep. Good writers don't have a lot of problem finding a new job -- it just takes a little longer now. New writers will always have to struggle to get a job, but certification isn't likely to help that process. And those who think they can write just because they can use Word or FrameMaker...well, check the archives for the answer to that one.

Diane Evans
Technical Writer

Washington State Coordinator, Tombstone Project
http://www.rootsweb.com/~cemetery/washing.html




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