Got change for a 20?

From the March, 2013 Issue of Cabling Installation & Maintenance Magazine

by Patrick McLaughlin

As our front cover indicates (or perhaps, boasts), this issue marks Cabling Installation & Maintenance's 20th anniversary of publication.

The report that begins on page 34 is our celebration of those 20 years in business. As you'll see from the report's content, we found it appropriate to emphasize the contributions of many individuals to the health and stability of the cabling industry, for the past 20 years and beyond. In total we draw attention to 20 people whose efforts within or around this industry have benefited many.

So we've gone ahead and done it: Made a list of individuals who are worthy of recognition. By creating a finite list, we most assuredly have left some deserving names off. We acknowledge that, and it's not just hot air when I tell you that we welcome your comments and critiques about whom we coulda/shoulda/woulda included.

Beyond that, as editor of this publication, I have some opinions about the overall collection of honorees who are singled out in this issue. If you'll indulge me here, I'd like to make a few observations (acknowledgements, maybe) about the collection of individuals we honor on our pages.

Does a certain cabling-standards development organization have a strong representation among the honored individuals? Yes, it does. That speaks to me about the importance that you, our audience, places on standards development, and the regard held for individuals who carry significant loads in the standards-development process. Our list was compiled through nominations by members of our audience.

Is there any sense of gender equality represented? Not even close. If I had "socially engineered" the list of honorees by injecting my own prejudices and preferences, the gender makeup probably would have been different. But I resisted.

How does an organization end up included in a list that's supposed to honor individuals? Two reasons. First, the sheer number of times the organization was nominated could not be ignored. Second, and more importantly, those nominations came because of the efforts of the organization's individual members to enhance the professional lives of their industry colleagues. Like the political mindset that the consent of the governed legitimzes a government, a professional association's membership (a collection of individuals) enables it to serve a trade.

There. My rant/rationalization/stump speech is over. I hope you enjoy reading about the achievements of your industry peers, and please do tell us what you think. ::

PATRICK McLAUGHLIN
Chief Editor
[email protected]