>> What about some sort of Perl Certification. I feel that if people
seeking
>> computer skills found a certifacation to work towards it would help.
> I feel that if people work toward a certification, they often end up
> having a very limited skill set in the given technology.
But it could be a very good place to "start" depending on your
socio-economic position or the infrastructure of the country (outside of the
US) in which you live.
> Certification has no inherent value, as we all agree. Some employers
> may like to have it, but these are the same employers who want to
> standardize the entire office on Microsoft products.
Hmmm, there is an inherent value if some companies like it regardless of
whether the majority of the 'current' perl community respects those
companies or not. There can also be value in standardizing on Microsoft.
For example, in my opinion, an SME with a staff of 8 (none of them techies)
SHOULD use Windows.
Mostly, I am concerned that we as advocates are actually turning away
perfectly good converts just because we consider them losers? I would like
us to maintain respect for all people whether we agree with them or not.
Try to remember that there is more in heaven and earth that are dreamt of in
your philosophy, Chris. Business is not simply technical. Business
decisions should not be based solely on technical issues. AND there are
really, really, really cool and smart people in the COM and Java camps who
are just as good, or better, than all of us on this list.
> Maybe it creates
> an incentive for some people to learn more, but I would rather work with
> people who create their own incentive, instead of a requiring an
> illusory one.
Well, not to get too Buddhist but....all incentives are illusory.
> If someone is not interested in Perl, they won't learn it
> just because there is a certification to be had; if they do, I don't
> want anything to do with them in regard to Perl. Conversely, if someone
> is interested in Perl but won't try to learn it just because there is no
> certification to be had, then why should we spend much of our time on
> them?
But certification 'can' offer businesses one way to filter 1000 resumes that
come in after a job placement ad assuming that they can have a sense for the
validity of the certification agency (just like digital certificates). It
might even give businesses the extra security they need to consider
developing their perl side.
