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Date:      Wed, 16 Mar 2005 19:02:06 +0100
From:      Anthony Atkielski <atkielski.anthony@wanadoo.fr>
To:        freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: BSD Certification Group press release
Message-ID:  <786788698.20050316190206@wanadoo.fr>
In-Reply-To: <42383D1F.20005@makeworld.com>
References:  <20050315104454.W574@dru.domain.org> <20050315101228.Q25559@knight.ixsystems.net> <793354858.20050315202057@wanadoo.fr> <42383D1F.20005@makeworld.com>

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Chris writes:

> I'm not entirely sure what this is 'sposed to mean. If it means what I
> think it does, I'll translate.

It means that the real purpose of certification--no matter what type of
certification it might be--is to allow some people to make more money
unfairly to the detriment of others.

It pains me to see something like FreeBSD going down this path.
Clearly, someone wants to make money off certifications, directly or
indirectly, and no scruples prevent them from attacking the open-source
domain to that end.

Isn't it bad enough that this type of racket exists for proprietary
software?

Certification is a matter of some people calling themselves experts,
devising tests to which only they are guaranteed to know all the
answers, then charging other people to take the tests in an attempt to
prove that they know exactly the same answers that the self-appointed
experts know.  Unfortunately, this says nothing about anyone's objective
competence in the nominal domain of the test.  It does make a lot of
money for the people who devise and administer the tests, and it also
restricts employment and artificially raises salaries for the few who
are willing to go through the hazing ritual of certification.

> Never mind the BSD certs, concentrate on MS certs - after all, that's
> where the money is at.

All certifications are designed to make money, nothing more and nothing
less.

> Well for me, I will do the BSD certs only for personal satisfaction.

And who writes the exams, and what makes you believe that they are the
ideal arbiters of competence?

> Considering the types of user we BSD'ers seem to be (from my
> experiences) sure, we care about money, but I'm willing to bet that
> those of us that choose to do some sort of BSD certs, will be doing so
> for our own personal satisfaction.

I don't need a certification for my own personal satisfaction.  I look
to actual hands-on experience for that.  Why trust a stranger to
"certify" me, which I can find out firsthand in an indisputable way
whether I'm competent or not?

> That says much about the type of folks most of us are. At least
> in my mind.

It shows that even users of BSDs can be manipulated and hoodwinked.
They may complain about the practices of a Microsoft or a Novell, but
change the name and they fall immediately under the spell.

-- 
Anthony




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