TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re[2]: Certification (long) From:"Arlen P. Walker" <Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 28 Dec 1995 13:45:00 -0600
Anyway, maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe spelling is more
important. But why do we need a set of certification standards?
Without a standardized test, won't the marketplace sort it out?
At the heart of a mandatory certification process is the belief that the
marketplace *can't* sort it out, that the front-line consumers are unable to
tell good writers from bad, or worse (shudder) that the front-line consumers
*don't want* to hire people with the qualifications "we" (the certifiers)
think they should. In short, it's based on the assumption that the
certifiers know better than the employers just what kind of people they
should hire.
Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 124
Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
----------------------------------------------
In God we trust; all others must provide data.
----------------------------------------------
Opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.
If JCI had an opinion on this, they'd hire someone else to deliver it.
