fjm and goulo, seem to define "competency" as "excellence." Others, myself included, define it as a midpoint between mediocrity and excellence. The difference seems to be whether one views "competent" as the minimal state or the maximal state of writing quality.A quick poke at dictionary.com, following "competency" to "competence", reveals this definition:
1. the quality of being competent; adequacy; possession of required skill, knowledge, qualification, or capacity: He hired her because of her competence as an accountant.This in my opinion could be read to support either the minimal or maximal position. So it all comes down to connotation. And since
2. sufficiency; a sufficient quantity.
fjm and goulo are from opposite sides of the Atlantic (though both reside on the eastern shore now), I can't blame it on the Anglo-American language divide.When discussing writing, does "competency" imply minimal acceptable quality or maximal desired quality?
Minimal acceptable quality
36(52.2%)
Maximal desired quality
1(1.4%)
Some intermediate state
24(34.8%)
Something else I'll explain in comments
8(11.6%)