From: Michael Dillon <michael@memra.com> Sure it has. But a lot of professionals have the attitude that details need to be hashed out discreetly in private so that a polished, professional front can be shown in public.
Naw, that's called "going behind your back", "back-stabbing", "beating around the bush", "behind closed doors", "smoke-filled rooms", and other derogatory statements. That's for politicians and management. Not professionals. polished != professional
I'm not saying that the desires of the public have changed, but that the attitudes of professionals have changed and are continuing to change.
Actually, I just think that more politicians and white-collar workers are calling themselves "professionals", which used to be reserved for doctors, engineers, professors (note the root), scientists, etc. Now, we have "sanitary waste-management engineers" (which has no educational requirement).... If the distinction escapes you, remember that traditionally a lawyer is an apprenticed tradesman, a judge is a professional. Every time I see some dingbat lawyer that adds "Esquire" after their name, I ask "Who is your knight? What liege have you sworn fealty?" Bill.Simpson@um.cc.umich.edu Key fingerprint = 2E 07 23 03 C5 62 70 D3 59 B1 4F 5E 1D C2 C1 A2