I feel it necessary to now defend my own honor.  I did not respond to Cheryl's post with unkindness or some sense that she was dumb for having taken a worthless class.  First, I don't know that her class was worthless.  The one taught here locally as a part of the paralegal program at the community college is excellent.  Online classes are another thing since the rules and regulations differ so widely between jurisdictions.  But no one can fault someone for taking such a class, because the person's newness to the industry makes them fodder for the advertising of these "schools".

Second, if you'll read my post again, you'll see that I specifically asked her NOT to take my comments as mean-spirited.  However, in my defense, it is certainly much better that someone like ME, a faceless person on a faceless message board point out the mistakes than have her repeat this pattern with potential employers or have her work-product be less than desirable once she IS hired. 

Additionally, I have to look at the situation as a "possible employer" would.  No, I don't cover Florida, so I couldn't have hired Cheryl anyway, but the point of my post was some constructive criticism NOW before she potentially got in front of actual employers.  However, I have to say, and now you're going to say I really AM mean-spirited, I was less than impressed with her responses.  Re-read her response from the eye of an employer.  Do YOU want to be the person who calls her to "suggest" that she might need to do a little more searching because you think she missed something during one of her searches? 

We ALL hate criticism.  I certainly do!  But in the end, after I've said a few uncouth words under my breath, I really DO have to evaluate whether or not the criticism is valid.  And, if so, then I have to suck it up and not turn my ire onto the messenger. 

And no offense to those attorneys here on the board since I aspire to be one of you one day soon, but most attorneys don't have time for the learning curve, so their criticism is not always done with hand-holding and flowers beforehand.  I can't picture the person who responded to my post taking that well, hence not being employed long.  If she, or anyone else for that matter, cannot hear the good in constructive criticism from someone who is faceless on a message board, how much better will she/they take it from someone across the desk that is looking her/them in the eye?

I think that SOT is the absolutely BEST place on the web for abstractors.  I have learned so much myself that the subscription fee is invaluable.  And it is never my intention to shoot newbies down because we might be afraid of any new competition.  However, having said that, we grouse daily about the untrained, unexperienced wrecking the industry's reputation.  Shouldn't SOT be a place where we help those who are inexperienced grow?  And if they can't/won't use our comments as a learning experience and grow from them, are they not then EXACTLY the people we are complaining about daily?

Just some thoughts.