3 ms·

because pilots' actions lead directly to loss of life and property damage if they screw up?

by noodle 17y ago

amichail 17y ago
The actions of journalists could also lead to loss of life and property damage. For example, journalists may give credence to alternative medicine.
- noodle 17y ago
  so, then, where do you draw the line between the responsibility of a professional and another's personal responsibility? just because i suggest that you go jump off a bridge next month doesn't mean that its my fault for you doing so.
  - amichail 17y ago
    It depends on who you are. Are you a psychologist? A priest? A competitor?
    - TallGuyShort 17y ago
      Psychologists and priests do get certified to give people advice. If your competitor tells you to jump off the bridge and you do so, it's your own fault. If a tabloid runs a story and it's false, you shouldn't have fallen for it, anyway.
    - noodle 17y ago
      if a psychologist told me to jump off a bridge, i would not do it, nor would most people (despite the fact that they are indeed certified by a board) it depends on a lot more than simply "who you are".
bwhite 17y ago
You're looking at this backwards. Current pilots love the certification process, it is a barrier to entry and a way to achieve seniority faster. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/30/AR2007013001654.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01... for the story about how the pilots union hated the retirement age limit until a bunch of younger pilots started joining the union. All of a sudden the upstarts had the majority vote and lo and behold, the age limits are imposed. Certification of pilots is not imposed out of a desire to assure safety; it's because the lawmakers are lobbied by the pilots themselves. Journalists would also love to be licensed, that way that upstart rapscallion Drudge and those dastardly blogs would stop eating into their business. Ask Richard Jewell if misguided/malicious journalists matter.
- noodle 17y ago
  i'm not saying that malicious journalists don't matter. i'm saying that it is substantively different. i'm also not saying that the certification process isn't something pilots like, i have pilots in the family. journalists do have certifications and credentials that prove their worth. its a lack of care on the part of the industry and a lack of care in the consumer base that is causing a problem. i want the best pilot to fly my plane, because if they mess up, i die. i have a lower barrier of entry for where my information comes from, because if they mess up, i might look dumb, might make a few mistakes but i'm almost definitely not going to die.
- amichail 17y ago
  Motivations are unimportant as long as the result is desirable. Having a certification process that results in highly qualified pilots is a good thing.

because pilots' actions lead directly to loss of life and property damage if they screw up?

by noodle 17y ago

because pilots' actions lead directly to loss of life and property damage if they screw up?

The actions of journalists could also lead to loss of life and property damage. For example, journalists may give credence to alternative medicine.

noodle 17y ago
so, then, where do you draw the line between the responsibility of a professional and another's personal responsibility? just because i suggest that you go jump off a bridge next month doesn't mean that its my fault for you doing so.
- amichail 17y ago
  It depends on who you are. Are you a psychologist? A priest? A competitor?
  - TallGuyShort 17y ago
    Psychologists and priests do get certified to give people advice. If your competitor tells you to jump off the bridge and you do so, it's your own fault. If a tabloid runs a story and it's false, you shouldn't have fallen for it, anyway.
  - noodle 17y ago
    if a psychologist told me to jump off a bridge, i would not do it, nor would most people (despite the fact that they are indeed certified by a board) it depends on a lot more than simply "who you are".

bwhite 17y ago

You're looking at this backwards. Current pilots love the certification process, it is a barrier to entry and a way to achieve seniority faster. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/30/AR2007013001654.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01... for the story about how the pilots union hated the retirement age limit until a bunch of younger pilots started joining the union. All of a sudden the upstarts had the majority vote and lo and behold, the age limits are imposed. Certification of pilots is not imposed out of a desire to assure safety; it's because the lawmakers are lobbied by the pilots themselves. Journalists would also love to be licensed, that way that upstart rapscallion Drudge and those dastardly blogs would stop eating into their business. Ask Richard Jewell if misguided/malicious journalists matter.

noodle 17y ago
i'm not saying that malicious journalists don't matter. i'm saying that it is substantively different. i'm also not saying that the certification process isn't something pilots like, i have pilots in the family. journalists do have certifications and credentials that prove their worth. its a lack of care on the part of the industry and a lack of care in the consumer base that is causing a problem. i want the best pilot to fly my plane, because if they mess up, i die. i have a lower barrier of entry for where my information comes from, because if they mess up, i might look dumb, might make a few mistakes but i'm almost definitely not going to die.
amichail 17y ago
Motivations are unimportant as long as the result is desirable. Having a certification process that results in highly qualified pilots is a good thing.