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Oh I'm in total agreement there! I just think we're not talking in the
same direction. ;)
> As more than one person has pointed out, STC is not currently
> a big, bad, world-straddling organization with fingers and
> operatives everywhere.
Well, yes it is, but I'll hold for the points below.
> It's a bunch of people with some common/shared interests,
> trying to bring some organization and improvements, and
> mostly doing good or aiming to.
>
> In order to do good on a wide scale, you need clout.
Here's the kicker. We're building it, that is, the members are
building it. Oddly enough, it's happening at the grass roots level. I
think it's extremely cool. :-)
> To achieve clout, you need:
> a) lotsa members and money
Not necessarily. Quality representation is all that's needed.
> b) recognition as an authority or source of good, reliable info
> and services.
I think many of the members are proving this on their own. By
association, should they choose to make it, the STC will share in that
recognition by association, which really is the key to building any
kind of organization.
> Then you have the chicken-and-egg situation where growth
> requires visibility and money, and visibility and money
> require growth.
The chicken/egg thing is more a myth than anything else in this case,
otherwise you wouldn't have any successful organizations in this
world.
> People who will make big things happen will be politically
> adept and politically motivated.
I think we're seeing this starting to happen, which is why now is the
right time to START to plan a certification offering. This isn't a
flip of a switch we're talking about. The Board just approved the
ground-breaking on truly developing such a plan. It's going to take
time. In the meantime, other things that build clout, as you say, are
happening.
> I just want to help ensure that such a venture is as clean,
> non-subjective, and above suspicion as possible from the start.
> And that it doesn't screw whole groups who don't fit a particular
> mold. (How _about_ those folks writing classified docs? You can
> review my portfolio, but I'd have to kill you.)
I don't think that will happen. Those pitching that argument also
mostly pitch that the STC is far behind the times and incapable of
doing any kind of lasting good, in which case, what's to be afraid of?
> Y'know that quote about all it takes for evil to triumph
> is for good people to remain silent? Substitute "mediocrity"
> for "evil", and it still applies. Of course I might not
> be "good people", but it's a loose parallel... :-)
You've beautifully summed up why I'm still with the STC at all. :-)
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