Land Surveyor Forum

Here is a perfect example of what not to do when interacting with the public.

My intention is not to attack this particular Land Surveyor. What I am pointing out is if the public views Land Surveyors as nothing more than "pin finders" and we reinforce this concept when we interact with the public then our profession is doomed.

Note the post near the end of this thread where the respondent states " I walked my five acres with a measuring wheel and a copy of a plat, and like stated above I used a metal detector in the general area and sure enough I found the pins. I drove rebar into the ground beside them and painted it." This statement is apparently in support of earlier advice by another respondent who urges the original poster to get a metal detector and find the "property corners" himself, thus saving "200 dollars" to hire a Land Surveyor.

Interaction with the public through the Web means that most anything you post on-line will stay there virtually forever. This should give you pause before posting things on the Web that would tend to portray Land Surveyors in a less than flattering light.

If we want to be treated as professionals then we must learn to act like professionals. At this point we must strive at all times to keep education in the forefront of any interaction we have with the public. Cursing like sailors, contributing to public misconceptions about Land Surveying and reinforcing public misunderstandings of what Land Surveyors do will only lead to our extinction.