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BSD Certifications Coming Soon
hugo_pt writes "The BSD Certification Group was formed in January, 2005 to create a BSD certification program that is recognized as the industry standard for administering BSD systems. The resulting certification process will provide a measure of excellence in both understanding and the ability to perform complex administrative tasks on BSD systems. 2005 will prove an exciting year as the BSD Certification Group develops certification level(s) and testing methodologies. Stay up-to-date regarding the latest developments by joining the public Mailing List. This initiative will prove very important for BSD administrators, as right now, companies don't have any way of knowning if a person is an experienced BSD administrator."
in the thread. Several of the comments there are responses from the BSD certification people.
Sitting Walrus Blog
Which license will the study material be release under?
News: BSD is now certified dead.
...future performance.
So, how does one get set up to give the classes to teach the young pups how to ace this "test"? There is certainly money to be made by promoting the merits of having certified staff members to clueless companies and equally-clueless techs signing up in droves to "prove" themselves.
I say, certification for all!!!!
Now, please turn to page 5 of the required blue handbook (only $79.99) and page 45 of the required red workbook ($150, no returns), and we'll begin... *cackle*
Yeah, right.
On a more serious note, when Linux was the obvious choice, but issues of security and stability where deciding factors, I've always recommended BSD (yes, I know BSD is not Linux, thank you).
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
It's a matter of degrees. If, for example, you have a laboratory using Linux boxes for custom programs that do functionality related to special experiments or programs, "security" is not really an issue, most of these boxes are not on "The Net". Likewise, equipment on the floor of the production facility are not generally susceptible to HACKERS. Here is a mistake that many here at Slashdot make: All servers and computers are "on the net" or somehow related to net functionality. Not so.
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
Wow, another OS has a certification? Does this mean paying a buttload of money just to get a piece of paper saying you're good at reading a book that tells you how to pass the certification? What a joke. You're not going to find real UNIX admins giving a *$&! about certifications. You'll find them sitting in the back room of a corporation writing shell scripts and working or playing with their servers. ...possibly rocking back and forth saying pebkac over and over due to the outstanding number of support emails they get from the front office...
I for one consider this a marvelous life.
Given what people usually think of certification programs, here's what we might see as some questions on the certification exam:
1. How do you install a new software package?
A. make port
B. make sherry
C. make install clean
D. make love ^war
2. BSD stands for:
A. Bill Gates Steals our Dollars
B. Bitchin' System, Dude!
C. Berkeley Software Distribution
D. Berkeley people Smoke a lot of Dope
3. Which version of BSD is the best and why?
A. FreeBSD - because PHBs like the word "free".
B. OpenBSD - because the average user thinks clicking on free porn links in emails from Nigeria is safe.
C. NetBSD - because running it on grandpa's pacemaker gives new meaning to the kill command.
D. Dragonfly - because it sounds like a cool SciFi series.
E. Any of the above as long as it makes a Linux advocate feel insecure and act petty.
-- Fugacity: Confusing chemists since 1908
I mean it's nice, but it's also kinda useless -- especially if you are unemployed. Neither can 50% of German PC "Magazines" spell the word BSD[1] nor does anybody here care about Yet Another nameless Certification.
d =855
It should make a name for oneself first - obtaining acceptance in the industry should be a primary goal of this new Certification Group.
[1] http://www.bsdforen.de/attachment.php?attachmenti
for an additional $5 and half an hour of training, in addition to BSD upkeep you can become a certified mortician as well!!
When Microsoft started their certification program some years ago, I saw it as an attempt to leverage more money from the Windows platform. Especially when you see the questions relating to specific dialog boxes on specific versions of the platform.
However, ISO 9002 compliant companies need to document and observe various procedures. And when it comes to hiring, it's easier to list a bunch of certificates required rather than rely on experienced opinion. The hiring procedures become more distant from the acutal job as the company becomes larger.
So Microsoft certification has become successful. A rather clever idea, if what you want to do is increase your revenues. It's spawned a whole new industry in books, tuturials, exams, fees and HR personel who check more boxes.
RedHat's had certification for years too. But they're expected to. They're selling Linux to organisations who expect to spend money on this sort of thing, who expect a set of expensive services, not just a kernel with GNU tools.
And so it seems that BSD certification is an attempt to legitimise BSD to these big spenders, and make all us BSD users/developers/administrators feel we ought to pay too.
If I am to pay, who do I pay bsdcertification.org or bsdcertification.com?
Neither I think.
Everyone hates certs in this crowd. Somehow they make you less hardcore. Whatever. Certs are good for a couple reasons:
1. They give someone focus. Some people can learn on a job, others are very disciplined. Personally I drift around wondering what to study next, so even if I don't want a cert (I only have 1 right now) I will pick up that cert's book and work through it knowing I might take the test sometime in the next year or two.
2. They make you look good to non-geeks. You know, the ones doing the hiring. The ones who list MCSE and CCIE as basically equivalent.
3. They get the technology out there. As a FBSD user I want to see the certification books at Costco. I don't believe FBSD is a geek-only endeavor, and making it accessible to normal people doesn't make it worse.
4. Finally, certs give you some assurance that the person can do *something*. What that something is depends on the test, but at least you know they can, for example, install RH/Apache, set up AD, manipulate database permissions, etc.. From there you have to figure it out yourself but at least you have a little bit of help out of the gate.