The Linux Foundation has introduced a new exam-based certifications program, using an online-based exam, for a fee.
Excerpt from ZDNet:
It's a common story: Businesses desperately want Linux savvy employees. Programmers and system administrators who cut their teeth on the gcc and the BASH shell want jobs. But, between them rises the wall of human resources, which wants degrees and certifications. The Linux Foundation introduced an answer at LinuxCon: a new Linux Foundation Certification Program for both early-career and engineer-level systems administrators.
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Linux Foundation Introduces New Linux Certification Program
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(Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Wednesday August 20 2014, @10:18PM
Addressing the symptoms and not the cause... not a very smart solution.
(ducks)
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday August 20 2014, @10:23PM
A new book is one the way: "The Linux Foundation - How to hack the HR department"
And the follow up "The Linux Foundation - How to get the money without a job" ;)
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Wednesday August 20 2014, @10:30PM
Experience matters.
Certificates don't mean shit except you threw money at somebody and pumped/dumped what little you learned overnight. Degrees are a little better but are no reliable indicator of competency.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Wednesday August 20 2014, @10:53PM
(cramming [wikipedia.org] is the word you seek?)
About 12 years ago, it took me 2 days to skim enough pass an MS certification (with a book 700+ pages - the employer was paying as it needed some MSCPs to get a MS partnership).
After that, any CV falling under my eyes (as a manager) and showing MS certifications got the lowest priority - the more certifications, the lower the priority. The reason: if you have time to waste learning all the crap to pass some irrelevant tests, when do you have time to properly do your job? And if you don't value your time/money, how can I expect you to value mine?
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 20 2014, @11:11PM
Too bad Microsoft stopped giving out MSCE certs - the reacronym of Must Call Someone Experienced was just too good.
About 12 years ago, it took me 2 days to skim enough pass an MS certification
...
if you have time to waste learning all the crap to pass some irrelevant tests, when do you have time to properly do your job?
Two days doesn't sound like a big hit against normal job duties.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Thursday August 21 2014, @12:51AM
Problem is that some of us will immediately consider a MCSE certification or their alikes as a negative value. Ie a certified idiot unless proven otherwise. And in any case all that Microsoft material may affect your thinking references and the team will have an Microsoft advocate to put up with too.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 21 2014, @04:44AM
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday August 21 2014, @01:43AM
I still bitterly regret those two day of my life: absolutely no sense of value derived from them. Not even being a lazy potato couch and (conscientiously) enjoy doing nothing.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by stderr on Wednesday August 20 2014, @10:33PM
I heard about their certificates a long, long time ago (in a galaxy not that far away), but never took any of their tests. Was there anything wrong with their certification process?
alias sudo="echo make it yourself #" #
(Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Wednesday August 20 2014, @10:58PM
Not necessarily. But if you value your time, maybe is better to just give the the money as a donation [linuxfoundation.org]? (and, if so inclined or requested, learn how to do the things regardless of a piece of paper)?
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Interesting) by stderr on Thursday August 21 2014, @12:13AM
Nope, not as long as they want you to install a Chrome extension to be able to take their exams.
alias sudo="echo make it yourself #" #
(Score: 2) by mrider on Thursday August 21 2014, @02:43PM
IMHO, the "value" of a certification is not the certification itself. The value comes from being exposed to things that one might not necessarily see in their day job. If the idea is to do as little as possible while still getting the letters after your name on your C.V., then the time was wasted. On the other hand if the idea is to see that there are nooks and crannies in the O.S. to which one has never been exposed, and then to subsequently learn about those nooks and crannies, then it's worthwhile.
Doctor: "Do you hear voices?"
Me: "Only when my bluetooth is charged."
(Score: 4, Interesting) by kaszz on Wednesday August 20 2014, @10:34PM
Perhaps a certification of HR departments would be a really god idea. Ie that HR actually knows about the work to know what relevant demands they need to communicate and any corporation that has a too high H1-B percentage will be denied certification.
The situation is in some ways quite absurd. People study long and hard for exams and get certifications only to be rejected by HR departments that just hires H1-Bs anyway.
And then perhaps the certification is about mindlessly knowing what command line parameters to pass to GCC ..? - ie completely worthless..
Besides Clang [wikipedia.org] is perhaps a better choice anyway. Which makes the value of those parameters.. not so valuable.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 20 2014, @10:44PM
I hope they're not expecting them to work...
(Score: 4, Funny) by Marand on Thursday August 21 2014, @03:55AM
Looks like you figured out their testing methods. If you can get sound, microphone, and your webcam working reliably you're already a Linux guru and get a certificate.
(Score: 1) by N3Roaster on Wednesday August 20 2014, @10:53PM
There doesn't seem to be any mention of this having accreditation. It takes time and some track record to get such a program accredited so it's understandable that it wouldn't be at launch, but there's also no mention of this being sought. Par for the course in tech "certifications". The short duration these are good for also seems somewhat out of line with the competencies tested, particularly for the lower level where how many of these things are done on the command line hasn't changed much if at all for longer than the distros you can take the exam in have existed.
Typica - Free software for coffee roasting professionals. [typica.us]
(Score: 2) by gman003 on Wednesday August 20 2014, @11:21PM
Microsoft certifies people to use their products. So do Apple, Adobe and Cisco.
HR probably won't know about the intricacies of distros and forks, and will just think "Linux Foundation makes Linux, ergo their certifications work for Linux". It will probably be a while before they specifically ask for them (if ever), but I can easily see a case like "hmm, we have two applicants left, one of them has a cert and the other doesn't so let's go with the first one".
(Score: 1) by N3Roaster on Wednesday August 20 2014, @11:58PM
That may well be the thinking, but it doesn't really answer the question of why they "should" do that. For as much as professionals deride the programs from Microsoft et al. (see above comments to this story) you'd hope the Linux Foundation would do better instead of saying, "me too." Guess not.
Typica - Free software for coffee roasting professionals. [typica.us]
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Thursday August 21 2014, @12:48AM
HR have poor judgment of certifications because they are really clueless? ;)
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday August 21 2014, @01:38AM
I have always taken it as a given that an employer looking to hire a Linux-savvy engineer was probably an employer driven by relatively savvy engineers, because the reflexive, dumb answer for a company driven by an MBA has always been, "Microsoft!" As such, I've always thought the best certification for said job was to contribute to open source projects or to publish your own. It proves competence far more effectively than an empty certification.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 21 2014, @07:09AM
This fine gentleman thinketh straight.
(Score: 2) by Theophrastus on Thursday August 21 2014, @02:27AM
Two basic questions which don't appear in the video, nor in the FAQ:
1. what's the approximate cost?
2. which is 'bigger'/'better'/more-costly: the Certified Sysadmin (badge) or the Certified Engineer (badge)? (("badges? badges?!... we don'need..."))
honestly, if one wanted a get-rich scheme, i think a certification service for certifications is overdue (see: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/29/opinion/why-license-a-florist.html?_r=0 [nytimes.com] )
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 21 2014, @02:57AM
Mushroom mushroom
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 21 2014, @07:40AM
But then, everyone could make a certification service for certifications. So we clearly need a certification service for certification certifications.
(Score: 2) by Theophrastus on Thursday August 21 2014, @03:32PM
I like your thinking! yet i think we need to take this to the next level, i think
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 21 2014, @08:07PM
the exams each cost $300.
the suggested training modules run about $2,250 each.
(Score: 2) by Theophrastus on Thursday August 21 2014, @11:25PM
whoa... thank you. that's about twice what i expected. well i'm out.
(and wtf is a "module" in this context? does it promote compartmentalization and inter-relation between subunits?)
(Score: 2) by PizzaRollPlinkett on Thursday August 21 2014, @03:22PM
Certification exams are a barrier to entry to keep poor people out of the computer field. I would never take one on principle.
(E-mail me if you want a pizza roll!)