Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 00:01:34 +0100 From: Nik Clayton <nik@nothing-going-on.demon.co.uk> To: core@freebsd.org, advocacy@freebsd.org, webmaster@freebsdmall.com Subject: Tekmetrics tests Message-ID: <19990615000134.A53585@catkin.nothing-going-on.org>
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Note: There's quite a wide distribution on this message. I've included
all the groups I think are pertinent, my apologies if this seems
irrelevant to you.
Tekmetrics are a company offering on-line tests in various areas. See
http://www.tekmetrics.com/ for more information.
These tests include Unix programmer/administrator for a variety of
Unices, and they (very) recently added Linux to the list (like, in the
past week or so).
I've been in touch with them to ask what would be necessary to create
a FreeBSD version of these tests, which could then be resold on the
FreeBSD Mall (15% of the purchase of the test goes back to the Mall,
in the same way that Amazon's reseller programme works).
Included below is my draft reply to one of their VPs, Bill Lake. This
has moved quite rapidly, and I haven't had the chance to clue as many
people in on this as I'd like. Hence this message.
I've got a number of questions *before* I send this message to Bill that
I think should be answered:
1. Are -core happy with this? You've expressed concern in the past
about promoting Amazon's reseller programme on the freebsd.org
site, preferring that it should remain non-commercial. Since
the Mall is a commercial site I'm not anticipating any problems.
2. Are the Mall happy with this? Do you want to resell FreeBSD
certification tests?
3. Can anyone re-spin my text? I've tried to avoid lots of marketing
hype about FreeBSD, because I don't think it'll be appreciated.
But if you can rephrase any of what follows, be my guest.
4. "Business case"? "Demand for the product"? "Bundling a test-prep
package with FreeBSD"? These are things I'm going to need
assistance on if we run with this. Volunteers?
5. Do we actually want a crowd of people being able to say "I'm an
official FreeBSD Admin, as sanctioned by freebsd.org" if they
take the tests? I haven't done extensive work to see how easy it
is to spoof them, and at least part of it works on the honour
principle ("You've got 180 seconds to answer this question, please
don't look it up in the man page.").
6. Is there anyone better placed to deal with this than I am? I'm
in the UK, which brings up timezone problems, and I'm not as
intimately tied with FreeBSD and its marketing as (say) Jordan
is (to pick a name reasonably at random).
If anyone else thinks they're in a better position to run with this
than I am, then please say so, I'm happy to hand it over if you can
do it better.
Comments, please.
N
[ My draft response follows ]
Bill,
First, thanks for getting in touch so quickly. I've copied this message
to the advocacy@freebsd.org mailing list, where the initial discussion
about Tekmetrics occured, so that the members of the list are kept up to
date on what I've been doing. If you'd rather your response went to just
me, please remove advocacy@freebsd.org from the cc: line.
On Mon, Jun 14, 1999 at 02:25:00PM -0400, Bill Lake wrote:
> We need to understand the business case for the development. We typically
> develop a test for a customer requirement for about $20,000 - $40,000 USD
> depending on the type of test. All of our tests are computer adaptive, which
> requires a large test question set. This allows the tests to be delivered
> securely over the internet, and makes them rapid and accurate.
>
> Assuming the test is a "standard" type of test, we could develop it and
> validate it in 8-10 weeks.
>
> We would be glad to establilsh a reseller relationship in which you can sell
> this and other tekmetrics tests and would pay you a commission.
>
> I don't know much about your organization- are you in a position to invest
> in the development of the test? Would you want us to integrate into your
> site so it appears to be a part of your content? What demand for this
> product can you forcast? Would you consider bundling a test-prep package,
> provided by tekmetrics.com with the FreeBSD?
Right. I'll start with some information about FreeBSD, and how we
came across Tekmetrics.
In a nutshell, FreeBSD is Unix-like operating system running on Intel
architecture and DEC Alpha systems. In this respect it's much like Linux,
which you have just started offering tests for.
FreeBSD differs in 4 main areas;
1. It's a complete Unix system. A Linux system typically consists of the
kernel, and the user-land utilities. Different distributions of Linux
(RedHat, Debian, Caldera, et al) have slightly different configuration
systems, bundled software, and so on.
With FreeBSD, it all comes as one package. The end-user can easily
keep track of the latest developments with the FreeBSD source code
(or only track the 'stable' changes, instead of the bleeding edge).
But it's one coherent, managed system.
2. Linux started as a research project 7 or so years ago. FreeBSD is
directly descended from the original Berkeley Unix, and the code can
be traced back some 25 years. This gives FreeBSD a much more traditional
feel than Linux, and means that much more generic Unix information
applies to FreeBSD than it does to Linux.
This is one reason why there are more Linux books than FreeBSD books.
Most of the generic Unix books are very applicable to FreeBSD, and
much less so to Linux.
3. FreeBSD is distributed under a slightly modified Berkeley license. In
effect, it tells potential users of the code "Feel free to use this
in commercial code, keeping the code secret, but you must say where
you got the code from. You are under no obligation to contribute any
changes you make back to FreeBSD."
Linux is distributed under the GPL, which requires any changes to the
code which are then made available in binary form to also be made
available in source form.
Both licenses have their uses, and we've found that many of the
companies that use FreeBSD code are very willing to contribute some or
all of their changes back to the project without the threat of the
GPL hanging over them. For example, Apple's new Darwin/OS X product
utilises code from the FreeBSD kernel, and Apple are keen to have their
enhancements folded back in to FreeBSD.
4. It's not (yet) as popular as Linux. Possibly explained by the wealth
of Linux books available (necessary, see point 2). Also by the fact
that a young Finnish hacker coding up the beginnings of an OS is a more
media friendly story than the continuation of a 25 year old project.
Linux is getting more press than FreeBSD, and has a larger user base.
Available figures tend to show FreeBSD being roughly a year behind
Linux in terms of press coverage and the size of the user base.
Nevertheless, FreeBSD is used in a number of very visible web sites.
Yahoo is one example, Hotmail is another. FreeBSD is also the OS behind
ftp.cdrom.com, the Internet's busiest FTP server, which allows 5,000
simultaneous connections, saturating a it's Internet link, and serving
over 1 terabyte of files per day -- all using one Intel PC (admittedly
with a fairly industrial SCSI subsystem with lots of disks attached).
A lot more information about FreeBSD is available at
http://www.freebsd.org/, and in particular, http://advocacy.freebsd.org/.
So, that's FreeBSD in a nutshell.
As a user and supporter of FreeBSD (as well as a "committer", able to
"commit" changes to FreeBSD's source code) I am naturally interested in
ways in which FreeBSD can be promoted as a business solution.
You may be aware that various commercial Linux distributions (including,
I believe, Redhat and Caldera) have started to run Linux administration
certification courses, in an effort to promote Linux's profile, and to
make businesses (and in particular, management) feel more comfortable
about employing Linux administrator and/or developers if they could be
certified in some way.
We have been considering doing something similar on the FreeBSD side for
some time, but are hampered by the volunteer nature of the project.
While FreeBSD receives a lot of sponsorship from Walnut Creek CD-ROM,
and occasional donations from other firms, it is certainly not to the
level enjoyed by companies such as Redhat, and so the idea has languished
somewhat.
Recently, a pointer to the Tekmetrics site was posted on the advocacy
mailing list, as a possible avenue to explore.
In a nutshell, we don't currently have a testing programme. We do have
a large user-base, many of whom would be interested in registering with
a testing programme, both as a way of certifying their skills, and also
as an additional way of contributing back to the project -- if there are
several certification schemes, and they know that spending on one scheme
is going to aid the project then they are more likely to choose that.
So we feel that there is an opportunity here for the FreeBSD Mall to
resell Tekmetrics test. Now, straight away there is a potential to
resell the generic Unix administration test. I've taken that test
myself (score: 4.46) and there are only a few questions that do not
directly apply to FreeBSD.
But there is also an opportunity to create what would become the standard
for FreeBSD Administrator and/or developer tests.
I hope that answers your questions, and look forward to your response.
Nik (nik@freebsd.org)
--
[intentional self-reference] can be easily accommodated using a blessed,
non-self-referential dummy head-node whose own object destructor severs
the links.
-- Tom Christiansen in <375143b5@cs.colorado.edu>
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