Dave,

Four points from a conservator and three cheers FOR him!

Thank you for your rational, professional response.

I certainly can understand your feelings about non-conservators applying "home
remedies" to their artifacts without knowing what the end effect will be and
then running to you when their brass turns green. I feel similarly when I see
labels written by non-writers, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper and easier to
replace a sign than it is to replace two-hundred-year-old artifacts!

Mind you, I'm not saying I think we have a ghost of a chance of stopping people
from using such remedies or from using the passive voice. What I DO think is
that we can encourage people to seek our help before they make expensive, if not
irreparable, errors by being available to those with questions and being
professional in our replies.

In agreement with your four points,

Laura

Laura H. Firth
Interpretive Exhibits Writer
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