Is there a certification in it? Like, can I go to some office, take a test, and get a Level 1 Yeah He Knows ’ Some’ Gregg Certification or a Level 3 Wow This Guy Is Some Gregg Wizard Let Us Sacrifice Fountain Pens Unto His Holy Name Certification?
The question was more about obtaining formal credentials than just learning arguably obsolete skills. Thanks for the info though!
Technically, it is still possible to be granted a Letter of Marque and Reprisal.
Isn’t it? I sat in a meeting last Friday making the notation “will someone please shut this boot-licking toady up so we can get out of here” right under said toady’s nose. Though I am occasionally asked where I learned to write Arabic.
But, no, to answer the previous question, there is no certification. I won third place area shorthand in high school, though.
Heck, people don’t even do longhand anymore.
Is there a “shorthand” font?
I’ll post on my own thread and say that the clerical title of Reader, used in some older Christian traditions, could count. The original point of identifying and setting apart “readers” from the rest of the congregation was, of course, because until relatively recently in history, literacy was uncommon and being able to have a few extra people available who could be called up to read out of the Bible was very useful. Nowadays, universal (or near universal) literacy is presumed in much of the world and there’s very little need to have a separate class or registry of “readers” in the congregation, since most churches can basically just point at a random person and ask them if they would be willing to read Acts 3 verses 1-10 out loud please because the pastor’s voice is getting a bit hoarse.
It looks like several churches still retain the office of Reader to some extent, at least nominally. I would assume, however, that someone who passed a quickie literacy test just so they could get a fancy ceremony, a pretentious title to add to their name, and the right to strut around in clerical robes would be given a “talking to” about proper humility before God and whatnot.