Re: A disturbing trend?

[Sue Ellen Adkins <sea -at- NETCOM -dot- COM>]

Helen Hegelheimer wrote:

<snip>

> I was more concerned about the comments that people were taking
> technical communication courses to "retain their unemployment
> insurance benefits" and the implication (at least thats the way I read
> it) that Junior College Certificate programs were of no apparent use.

> After 10 years as a technical writer here in Silicon Valley, I took one
> of those JC Certificate Programs.  I was impressed with how much I
> learned and how much my writing improved because of those couses.
> My fellow students held impressive degrees in other fields and were
> either in career transition or justing wanting to hone their skills as
> I was.

It's amazing how much communication helps.  I'm going to make the assumption
that we're both talking about the same program.  I think it's great; I never
meant to criticize it. I've learned a lot from it.

My criticism would be directed toward those who guide students lacking basic
writing skills into technical writing.  The number of layoffs in the past
three years has probably changed the student mix in the courses.  I don't know
how many of these students drop out before receiving a certificate.

> Now, I'll go back to my lurking and think twice before I post again....

Please don't stop posting!  Without your post, I wouldn't have realized that I
needed to clarify my post.  We all benefit from intelligent discussions of
differing points of view.  Do we really want to see lots of "me too" posts?
Besides, don't writers want to change\\\\\ edit\\\\ rewrite the work of
others?  <g>

Sue Ellen Adkins
sea -at- netcom -dot- com