RE: head hunters

From:"Morken, Tim" <tim9@cdc.gov>

Jonathan wrote:

<<I just don't think that lawyers, doctors, and other professionals give out
their knowledge for free when it is exactly this knowledge that makes others
think of them as professional.>>

I don't think that statement is true, and is a poor example of what you are
trying to get across. if you think about it, doctors, lawyers, etc. all
learn the same things and then apply them to problems in essentially public
forums. Their methods and results are open for anyone to look at. certainly
they don't work for free, but anyone is free to copy thier methods. the only
limit is how creative they are at applying their knowledge.

On the other hand, we have private companies, such as in the biotech
industry (Big Pharm?) or the computer industry that keep many of their
methods secret and often don't even patent them so no one else can see how
they achieve their results. In those cases it certainly is beneficial for
them to get free knowledge and then use to their own ends and not let others
know what they do with it.

I think, for our purposes, we want to know everything we can so we can do a
good job in our own individual circumstances. I'm not going to berate anyone
for trying to learn something,whatever the circumstances, and not even for
trying to get a "better" job, whether through head hunters or not.

Tim Morken
Atlanta

-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan R. Oppenheimer [mailto:joppenheimer@ourlab.net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 5:13 PM
To: Dresser, Karen; histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: RE: head hunters


I agree that was an excellent point. How's about this. More and more private
histology labs are popping up since the reimbursement for making slides has
increased. Since there are only so many specimens in the world to divvy up,
all labs are in constant competition with one another. The knowledge of how
to do special stains, immunohistochemistry, etc is really intellectual
property imparted to technologists during training, conferences, and
on-the-job experiences. The best strategy for a technician to improve the
well-being of her own lab is NOT to share trade "secrets" which other labs
need. True, competition makes us all better, but aren't new (and especially
financier-backed commercial) labs getting a great deal by getting the info
without having to hire  the experienced techs to get the knowledge? Does
this not help them hire one knowledgable foreman and then train people off
the street to crank out the routine cases in slide-mills? What happens to
the prestige and hourly wages of histotechs then?

Hey, I'm all for free knowledge. . . in theory.  I just don't think that
lawyers, doctors, and other professionals give out their knowledge for free
when it is exactly this knowledge that makes others think of them as
professional.

Just thinkin' out loud. Excuse me while I jump into my asbestos suit as I
prepare myself for the ensuing flames that are about to come my direction.

----------------------------------------

In a message dated 7/11/2001 2:24:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
Cathy@wasatchhisto.com writes: 




Cathy in a since we are all getting a paycheck to use this free service. 
Any question related to our work can be posted here no matter how mundane 
or simple the question. when we tell our bosses we have an answer to a 
problem and then they turn around and say good job. A

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