atw: Re: Toward co-operation

The high cost in USD, plus the "overseas" membership loading for postage 
and handling.

Plus the dominance of the obsolete Queen Anne / US (Germanic word endings) 
version of English in almost everything they publish.

Plus the fact that the money goes out of Australia, much of which we get 
back as "food aid" for our poor little Third World chapter.

Not that I ever minded being a member of such as marvellous organization 
(the "z" here is okay by the Collins and the Oxford Aussie editions, 
thanks) and was a senior one, with the STC for a decade, but it was awful 
being "unaffiliated" and the fees became so extreme, once I factored in the 
then awful the USD AUD exchange rate that I had to give my STC membership 
the flick, unfortunately just before the Aussie chapter was established.

By comparison, my local ASTC (Vic.) represents remarkable value, not that 
it could not learn something from the way the STC does some things.

Swings and roundabouts folks.  If you can also afford the ongoing USD fees 
(the exchange rate won't be this good for us for very long) be a part of 
both.  If you cannot, your local ASTC or tech writing society / club is the 
way to go and really needs your support far more than a multinational US 
based conglomerate.

Retaining our independent locally owned and run societies is vital to the 
success of our profession.

We need a professional focus and a community spirit at a local level in 
every state and territory, not just one point of contact in Sydney (about 
the only place that the US folk know in Australia).

We cannot afford to become just a branch office of somewhere else.

Sure the STC Aussie chapter has value, but don't give up on your local 
society, unless the only way you want to "meet" is virtually, in an 
Internet chat room or discussion list like this one, at a much higher cost 
to you and to Australia.

Sincerely,

Michael Granat
Write Ideas

At 10:27 28/11/2003 +1100, you wrote:
>I'm told another issue with the STC is the cost in American dollars -
>even thought they provide lots of high quality value with their
>publications.

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