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.
While I probably haven't explicitly stated it, I *do* value higher
education, and figure your degree is worthwhile: I'm not one of those
machine operators who claims that he never needed to go to
college-and-besides-every-PhD-he-ever-knew-was-driving-a-cab...
I remember about four years ago someone in TECHWR-L flamed the heck out of
Saul Carliner for being a "head-in-the-clouds" PhD candidate rather than a
"real" TC... unfortunately for the flamer, Saul happened to be one of the
premier STC'ers working on the future of TC, had run his own TC consulting
firm for more years than I can count, and was one of "The Names" in the
field back when I thought I'd join the Army and retire in just 20 years...
My very own baby brother jumped straight from pre-med into a PhD program,
and is way smarter than me... while I could prolly write about hairpin
rhybosymes and nuclear imaging for Dider's Reagest, *HE's* the one who can
actually *make* hairpin rhybosymes and show which way it's electrons are
spinning, and I'd definitely hafta work with him for several weeks to
understand the darn things...
NOW: I figure a GED is wayyy cooler than a High-School diploma, but despite
taking several College Level Examinations while in the Army, when I got out
I obtained 140+ credit-hours at College.... yes, my GPA sucks, 'cos I kept
signing up for a full load of classes and then getting sick, finding a
really cool job or <shudder> reenlisting in the Army after it was too late
to withdraw <blush>... but I would say that I learned a ton in college (as
I said Saturday, I even benefitted from Freshman English after
communicating professionally for ten years).
I don't have a degree because it's easier for me to work than do two years
of algebra homework... this isn't to say that I can't do algebra (I learned
trig and calculus while in training to become a machinist!)... I just feel
I have more profitable things I can do with my evenings (such as annoying
everyone on TECHWR-L and studying Peter Drucker and the _Concept of the
Corporation_ <smirk>).
I will go back to college to catch up on enterprise Databasing, and modern
programming because nobody uses punched cards and COBOL anymore, but I
probably *still* won't go after a degree... it's probably cheaper to use
the new machines at school than buy myself a new computer *and* software to
learn it on my own -- learning on my own worked a couple of years ago, but
I need a pretty hoopy computer to do the things I want to now, and two
semesters part time at college is cheaper than the computer I want (which
will be on sale for $800 when I get through with the classes -- maybe
four-days' pay when I get the new job I'd be qualified for 8-) my choice,
that's all, and it doesn't make *your* choice invalid.... I was in the
Army while everyone I went to school with was getting their MBAs, kewl...
I've shared email with many folks older than I who for many of the same
reasons didn't get a degree in their young adulthood, but at some point
they felt they *had* to get degrees, and it opened doors previously closed
to them.... outstanding! good for them!
The *only* problem I have concerning degrees is when a potential employer
requires a "four year degree and 3-4 years' relevant industry experience."
I have 17 years' "relevant" industry experience and the equivalent of five
year's full-time college credit... but somehow I'm not qualified for the
job. My Father had 20 years' relevant experience on the cutting edge of
electronics engineering when we moved to Phoenix: some of the outfits who
interviewed him turned him down for jobs 'cos he didn't have a degree --
fortunately, he landed a job where he could be a visionary and guru for the
next thirty years in one place.
We no longer have the luxury of working in one company for thirty years;
things move too fast now... If I stopped and spent three years full-time
getting a degree I'd be so far behind the curve I'd *never* be productive
in the fields I plan to work in....
One of the qualities that makes us good technicl communicators is that
we've *learned how to learn*, and whatever we need to learn, we *can*. THis
could be through formal "higher education," or self-paced personal training
a-la the Microsoft Certification Kits, or just seeing an author's name at
the Computer Library that you recognize from back in the days when she was
a techwriter/tools weenie on TECHWR-L and buying every book she writes and
studying it till it comes apart.... we have our jobs and careers because we
*know* that education and learning is important, and I would think most of
us *love* learning new things....
>Frankly, I am really disappointed. I was always under the impression
>that people with higher education were respected. I have spent a lot of
>time, energy and effort into earning a degree. I don't need to listen to
>a whole heard of individuals go on about how worthless my degree is.
The knowlege your degree brought you is no more worthless than the knowlege
I gained crawling through the mud piecing back together the equipment that
did then what software does now -- It all counts...
I don't intend this to be an attack on anyone, and I'm sorry if this
appears to be just-another strident Vr2Link rant.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Brinegar Information Developer/Research Droid/Mac Guy http://www.vr2link.com
Who was it that said:
"I believe the only way to get the scale of change we really need is
to focus on educating citizens so they have the principles,
the framework and the tools necessary to effect change on their own."
vr2link -at- vr2link -dot- com -- CCDB Vr2Link
Performance S u p p o r t Svcs.
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
