Re: Give Me a Clear Thinker (was STC certification: what's in it for tech writers?)

[Steven Jong <stevefjong -at- comcast -dot- net>]

Last week (sorry, it's been snowing here), Janice Gelb took exception to a comment I made about trade and professional ethics, and gave counterexamples: tradesmen in the 1970s who refused to demolish a building because they thought it should be saved, and examples of professionals who do unethical things (which she didn't name but which I readily accept in concept).

I would argue (but not violently) for my original point, which is that a defining characteristic of a profession is a the presence of a professional code of ethics. Yes, in one case tradesmen in the 1970s refused to do what they were hired to do out of aesthetic concerns, but it made the news because it was unusual. And yes, I grant that there are many shocking examples of professionals acting unethically, but they make the news too, and for the same reason. You don't expect ethical behavior from the one group, and you do from the other; when you don't get either one, it's newsworthy.

                -- Steve

-- 
Steven Jong ("Typo? What tpyo?")
SteveFJong -at- comcast -dot- net
978-413-2553 [C]
Home sweet home page: StevenJong.net

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help.
Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try
Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days.
http://www.doctohelp.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and info.

Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our online magazine at http://techwhirl.com