Why I hate MS

[Ted Roche]

On Apr 26, 2005, at 12:44 PM, Travis Roy wrote:

> And people wonder why I don't trust certifications.

Master Yoda teaches us that hatred leads to the Dark Side.

Well, if you're going to hate someone, hate Novell for letting their 
paper CNE program blow out of control. However, I'm not sure hatred is 
justified, nor that anyone can control these programs.

Recognize what they are good for, and what they are not. It's an 
attempt to have some sort of 3rd-party credentialing. Just as having a 
bachelor's degree doesn't mean the person isn't a complete boob, a 
testing certification just means that the person went to the effort of 
passing a test for a reason. Some were insecure, some wanted to bluff 
people into thinking they were competent, and some wanted to show a 
certain minimum level of achievement.

I've worked on certification programs from the inside, and passed a few 
from the outside.

I consider them more like an automobile driver's license learner's 
permit, a minimum level of intellectual knowledge required to be 
allowed to operate under supervision. The real proof is in the 
practical exam.

That said, I'm interested in getting some of the certifications, like 
A+, Linux+, LPI, RHCE, LCP or MySQL, as a credential I can pitch to a 
potential client. Along with a portfolio of successful client gigs, 
recommendations of my peers, and an ability to communicate with the 
client, I might win the job. The way I see it, a cert by itself is not 
much of anything, but seen as a pattern of many credentials, it can 
push the balance to the tipping point when competing with 
equally-qualified contestants.

But I agree with you that a certification by itself isn't that much 
more impressive than having an SSN. And that there a folks running 
around with letters after their name they shouldn't have.

Q: What do they call the guy who graduates from the bottom of their 
class in med school?
A: Doctor.

Ted Roche
Former Certifications: MCSE, MCSD, CNA, 10 CFR 20 Radiation Worker, Red 
Cross Water Safety Instructor, AAU Timekeeper, CPR Instructor, Shutdown 
Nuclear Reactor Operator, Submarine Damage Control
Ted Roche & Associates, LLC
http://www.tedroche.com