To be thoroughly clear on this topic: the basic problem is not whether one is in favor or against certification programs per se. The problem is, who makes them, who designs them, for what purposes and to defend whose interests?<div>
<br></div><div>If a certification program is created by big corporations looking to commoditize development, drive down wages, and create a buyers' market, with a view to controlling the process for their own gains and using it to stamp out those organizing to defend the rights of those doing the work, then it will be a "good" program if it achieves that end, but "good" for them, not us.</div>
<div><br></div><div>I am a socialist, and I believe the workers should own the means of production. Then it could make sense to form some kind of certification program to help folks get work and learn the trade when they are new, and to create sustainable forms of communication so that those seeking services are well served, and that the needs of the people are truly met.</div>
<div><br></div><div>So it depends. But I can't help but feeling that any worthwhile such program would look a lot like the meritocracy that has sort of existed in the Drupal community for a long time: people helping each other to get started using and developing, reputations based on contributions to the community and general awesomeness in actual practice.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Victor Kane</div><div><a href="http://awebfactory.com.ar">http://awebfactory.com.ar</a><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 10:49 AM, Ayen Designs <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:info@ayendesigns.com">info@ayendesigns.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">Looking at it historically, I see certification having the same 'promise' as software frameworks replacing the developer. I've seen huge infrastructure certification processes for Project Managers (PMI), computers (MCSE), etc. They prove the person has great memory, often for trivia, and some problem-solving skills. The typical PHP certification is more of a PHP trivia test than anything else. It doesn't prove diddly about the developer having any of the intuition or thought-process needed for developing good code, good business rules, or even being able to understand specs. The PM certification doesn't tell me that when the critical path has gone critical that the PM won't collapse into a bowl of jello and make serious judgment errors. Not to malign offshore developers, but through much experience I can say that there is a fairly consistent issue of developers outside the west understanding the unwritten business assumptions, aesthetics and other intangibles that one expects to be present in design and development, unless those things are spelled out in agonizing detail. However, these same folks can score very high on certification exams.<div>
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