David,
The BP archives are available to anyone who so desires to go look. It
has always been so though I don't think that it is searchable for
content by a Google, yet. If there is any saving grace it comes with
that there is so much other stuff in the world and on the internet to
worry about. These days with Google Alerts a person can find out in a
matter of minutes, if they so choose if their name is mentioned on the
web. For example, someone I know mentioned on their blog (generally 4
readers) that their boyfriend (whom they named) did not think a
particular author's book was as good as their previous ones... and the
originator of the comment got an unpleasant comment back from the author
within an hour. In another instance a few writers on a blog mentioned an
author who wrote a book that touched on the degradation of literary
culture via e-mail and the author, who was interviewed on NPR that same
day, heartily joined in the blog debate -- obviously having had his
Google Alert turned on. I am mindful of the originating rancor that I
encountered early on w/ Preserv-L. One needs to be mindful of how they
present themselves on the I-way, or as was mentioned to me recently, one
needs to know when to fly the freak flag, and when not.
Chris,
I am not a member of the AIC, not sure I want to be. I do know, and work
with people who are members. What I tend to hear is how people stab each
other in the back as if they are academics fighting for tenure, though
this could simply be off gassing. Increasingly on historic projects,
dependent on the perceived value of the heritage fabric, and in
particular on monumental/art objects like sculptures and fountains or
murals, the specifications are requiring that AIC certified
technicians/conservators be employed in the work. Though I am in
agreement w/ you on the folly of preservation of charred sewing machine
tables and rock candy (and am waiting to hear about conservation of
Thomas Edison's last breath as it is kept in a test tube under plastic
at the Henry Ford Museum) to mess with the brains of the AIC folk is to
potentially get innocent people in hot with future employment. I am
reminded of an incident a few years ago where we were involved, working
in team w/ an AIC certified conservator, in cleaning a marble statue and
the Smithsonian conservators inside the building were convinced that we
had destroyed it because they were not prepared for it to look clean,
with a very mild water wash... it all made no sense but it sure got to
be a real hot scene out on the street.
General,
I find it absurd that 'certification' becomes a political tool in some
cases more so than it is an assurance of quality or competency.
Certification makes it easy to pass off the responsibility, or the
difficulty and expense, of actually knowing, or having the confidence
that someone knows what they are doing.
][<
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