So to review, here’s what I’m including in my definition of “professional”:
• Presentation, a.k.a. “Giving a shit”, how a professional presents him or herself, either in person or in writing
• Accuracy
• Consistency
• Accountability. That means, when asked the question, “Who did
this?” You can raise your hand and say, I did. I was responsible.
• Peer standards: within the class of people doing what you’re
doing, there’s consensus about what’s acceptable and what’s not.
And here’s my first thesis for the evening:
“Professional” has nothing to do with getting paid.
Thesis two:
A lot of the “professional” media is staggeringly unprofessional.
That’s really Thesis #3:
You don’t get to pick when you’re going to be professional, and when you’re going to be amateur.
Thesis 3.01:
You don’t get to be an amateur at all.
