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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