[consulting] Returning to a solution

[Domenic Santangelo]

Bill Fitzgerald wrote:
> Where has this need been demonstrated? I definitely do not have this 
> need.
>
>
> If we have free time, we would rather spend it on maintaining our 
> contrib modules, writing documentation, helping in [snip] 
You're talking from the perspective of yourself here, as a 
developer/contributor/coder. A skill that we as consultants must develop 
(whether we agree about certification or not) is the ability to 
empathize with our client base and predict their needs. If the *market* 
(our clients) demonstrates this need, it will have to be filled.

History has shown that as a technology hits critical mass, clients tend 
to gravitate towards certification (of some kind) as part of their 
decision-making process (see: MSCE, Cisco cert, Red Hat, etc). If Drupal 
as a platform continues to grow at the same rate as it has, it seems 
inevitable that this need will arise. I admit this is an extrapolation 
based on the history of our industry, and perhaps isn't an accurate 
prediction, but it seems reckless not to consider how these established 
patterns may affect our slice of the industry.

I would encourage those participating in the discussion to -- above all 
else -- try to see through your clients' eyes and predict what would 
make their jobs easier (which in turn, makes our jobs easier).

-D