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.
Re: Cost of Professional Memberships and Overdone Metaphors
Subject:Re: Cost of Professional Memberships and Overdone Metaphors From:"Wing, Michael J" <mjwing -at- INGR -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 24 Feb 1997 11:17:15 -0600
>
>You're losing some depth in this discussion. Try this set of binoculars. ;-)
Which is by intention. The original point was the cost compared to a
personal budget. A Lexus is cheaper than a Rolls Royce, but that
doesn't much matter if a person is on a Toyota budget. Does it?
>In addition to society memberships, other professionals may have additional
>expences (licensing, malpractice insurance, diagnostic equipment)...
>The point was cost of STC-to-budget (shallow-depth topic) not STC-to-IEEE or
>AMA or what ever (deeper-depth topic).
>
>Say--are we comparing apteryx and orangutans here?
Which was my point. I was defending the view of those who said that the
cost of STC did not fit their budgets. If it doesn't fit a person's
budget, what does it matter if other organizations are more expensive?
I am only defending the view of the cost of membership fitting a
personal budget. A person's choice to join or not to join does not
indicate in any manner their level of professionalism (or lack thereof).
I object to the snide comments and innuendoes that it does. In fact,
reading these comments makes me wonder if the people making them are on
a drive to scare or humiliate people into joining. If, so it's one heck
of an approach. Wouldn't you say?
I have no idea if membership is worth the time, expensive, and energy
invested into it (provided that cost was not the issue). I've never
joined (I've always relished doing things independently rather than by
committee). Therefore, I cannot say whether membership in STC is or is
not worth the investment. But the tone of many supporting it in this
forum makes joining a real tough sell.
Mike Wing
__________________________________________
| Michael Wing
| Principal Technical Writer
| Infrastructure Technical Information Development
| http://www.ingr.com/iss/products/mapping/
| Intergraph Corporation
| Huntsville, Alabama
| (205) 730-7250
| mjwing -at- ingr -dot- com
TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html