Re: Certification

[greg <frog@intertek.net>]

Kara Pritchard wrote:

> I think that really depends on the certification you're looking at. Some
> certifications are simply slips of paper that prove you passed an exam or
> a course. Those certs aren't psychometrically developed (scientific term
> that means the certification is developed to be valid to the current
> market, and will stand up in court). Some are developed simply to sell
> training and courseware, thus not complete exams. Others, you can buy the
> answers over the Internet, or 10,000 other people hold the same
> certificate.
>
> In short, there are a lot of certifications that don't matter. And heck,
> what do I know? Maybe they don't.
>
> What I do know is, that the majority of corporate America cares about
> those certifications. They care about the ones that don't prove anything,
> and they care about the ones who do. To them, for a product or a person to
> carry a certification gives them some sort of guarantee that they have
> support and service for their product or their workplace using the
> product.
>
> All technical validity arguements aside (which I could talk myself blue
> with anyhow), certification shows interest, support, and warranty for this
> Open Source product that Corporate America is scared to use, because noone
> in their company has a B.S. in Linux. If certified people helps move Linux
> into more and more corporate institutions and helps move more people and
> business into reasonable, cost effective solutions, then I'm all for it.
>
> However, for sake of arguement for this arrangement within the LUG, the
> idea to focus on a cert track simply satisfies needs for multiple
> audiences. Certified or not, the learning course is a solid foundation for
> all people, sysadmins, hobbyists, etc need to know. If in the end, people
> interested feel qualified and confident enough to invest in themselves to
> gain Linux Accreditation, then what does that hurt?
>
> Granted, I feel all the M$ certifications aren't worth the paper they're
> printed on. They were designed to profit more out of their own product and
> to further brainwash individuals and companies into Microsoft coma. When
> everyone and their dog are certified, the certification does lose value.
>
> There is still value in the Cisco, Novell, HP, etc certification
> tracks. Holding these certificates does demonstrate that you have
> committed (and accomplished something) that not everyone else in the world
> has.
>
> So, if you don't like the technical arguements about what certification
> can do for you (aside from pay raises, extra customers, white space filler
> on your business cards and in your email .sigs), consider the claims to
> committment, accomplishment, and corporate fulfillment.
>
> - Kara
>
> On Mon, 23 Oct 2000, Dwayne Masters wrote:
>
> > I took the preview LPI test at COMDEX/Chicago back in the fall, found them
> > fairly challenging.  My only question is what a certification is really
> > worth?  From the majority of folks I have worked with or have interviewed
> > for positions, a cert is only worth the paper its printed on...
> >
> > Dwayne
> >
> > --
> > Dwayne Masters
> > dwayne@linux.com
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-silug-discuss@silug.org
> > [mailto:owner-silug-discuss@silug.org]On Behalf Of Kara Pritchard
> > Sent: Monday, October 23, 2000 9:01 PM
> > To: 'silug-discuss@silug.org'
> > Subject: RE: Certification
> >
> >
> > The Exam Prep book for the LPI series, is well, not very good...
> >
> > New Rider's book will be out any day now (if not already). O'Reilly's will
> > be out by January. Either of those is multiple times over a better
> > resource.
> >
> > However, you should find the objectives detail everything you need to
> > know. Where you find out how to complete the objectives is up to you, and
> > quite often in the man pages.
> >
> > I don't think you'll have any issues.
> >
> > On Mon, 23 Oct 2000, Flood Randy Capt AFCA/GCF wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > I think I'd be willing to work on a study group for the LPI exam.  But, I
> > > think I'm less qualified to lead studying for the LPI stuff than I am for
> > > the RHCE exam.  I suspect that we could take the list of objectives, and
> > go
> > > point by point, though.
> > >
> > > Besides, I wouldn't mind getting LPI certitifed as well.
> > >
> > > I've got the Exam Cram book for the LPI exam, but I haven't read it all
> > yet.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: lwhite [mailto:lwhite@apci.net]
> > > Sent: Sunday, October 22, 2000 8:53 PM
> > > To: 'silug-discuss@silug.org'
> > > Subject: RE: Certification
> > >
> > >
> > > I would agree with Steve.  LPI being more general would be a better
> > > learning platform for us novices and would serve as a "test of the waters"
> > > for those who would like to move on and spend the big bucks for the RHCE.
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From:       Steve [SMTP:sreindl@home.com]
> > > Sent:       Sunday, October 22, 2000 6:45 AM
> > > To: silug-discuss@silug.org
> > > Subject:    Certification
> > >
> > >  << File: ATT00010.html >> At the last couple of meetings of mvlug or
> > silug
> > > east or whatever we are now known as, there was discussion of
> > certification
> > > training or study within the group under the auspices of one or more
> > > guru's. I have several questions to pose as a sort of interest poll.
> > >
> > > 1. Are enough of us interested to make this a worthwhile pursuit?
> > > 2. Which certification course should be pursued?
> > > 3. Where
> > > 4. When
> > > 5. Who
> > >
> > > I am definitely interested. Talking with Kara and looking at a few
> > > websites, I think that the LPI approach is probably the way to go. It is a
> > > more generalized exam process and it appears more available than RHCE. As
> > > for the remainder of the questions, any input?
> > >
> > > Steve
> > >
> > > -
> > --
> >
> > Kara Pritchard                          Phone: 618-398-7360
> > Author, RHCE Exam Cram
> > Linux Evangelist                      kara@linuxgruven.com
> > Asst Dir for Program Development        kara@lpi.org
> >
>
> -
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Pretty good argument.

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