Hi David, Interesting post, though I don't agree with you on all points. Perhaps you'd like to convert it to a blog post on the LUG website? We always welcome fresh content: http://linux.or.ug
Note that the site is still under heavy construction ;) Regards, Kyle Spencer ----- Original message ----- > Hallo Brian, > > Your question is valid – very valid !!! > > I have various issues with the LPI qualification. The exams 101 & 102 > are set far too high to be of any use in Africa. Also they are only > valid for a limited period of time. And lastly they reserve the right to > disqualify certificate holders (revoke qualification) if they > “misbehave” – rather like taking someone’s driving permit away if he is > having an affair with his neighbours wife. Also the lpi Certification is > overtly commercial and therefore “EXPENSIVE”. If they were truly > interested in the common good then why is it so difficult to discover > the exam specifications on their website and impossible (at least from > the lpi) to obtain “Tutorial” material. Lastly – anyone with an lpi > qualification wouldn’t dream of working in Africa, where employers are > not prepared to pay what qualified staff are worth – they have already > emigrated !!! I do not know anything about FOSS qualifications as I > have had no contact with FOSS. The few emails that I have sent up till > now have not been answered and that is all I need to know about them. > University qualifications ??? I could write a book about things that > “African bachelors degree in computer science” holders DON’T KNOW !!! I > was fascinated by Fwd: Job line - System Admin MUK > ([email protected][mailto:[email protected]] 17.7.2011) looking for a > LINUX admin. All those demands and no mention of what salary they are > prepared to pay ??? 300.000 plus free matoke in the coffee break ???. > Lets be honest – anyone who actually meets those demands (not an African > bachelors degree in computer science because that is not really a > qualification) has already left for the states or Europe. The demand > that really blew my mind was “3. Experience at setting up and managing > Database Systems such as Postgres (that should be PostgreSQL but who the > hell cares when you are offering a job in a country where there is so > much unemployment and making ridiculous demands) MySQL and Oracle”. We > have been working with PostgreSQL for some time and for all its power it > is not an easy piece of software – but no !!! They want PostgreSQL, > MySQL and Oracle !!! Wow - take hat seriously if you will !!! But I need > not worry because despite my own abilities I do not hold a bachelors > degree in computer science – I suppose I am “unqualified” a least on > paper !!! By the way it might be worth mentioning, that Bill Gates – > acknowledged as an extremely talented programmer - dropped out of Law > School to start Microsoft (no bachelors degree in computer science !!!). > Unfortunately LINUX in Africa is still pretty much irrelevant. > Recently at the URA I sat next to an employee with a nice new DELL > (160GBHarddisk, CD/DVD Drive etc. etc. etc. I asked him what he used it > for – mostly word processing & emails (has anyone in authority heard of > the LINUX Terminal Project ???) and later at the URA in Town (Stanbic > Towers) I sat beside an employee who found it hard to concentrate on my > case because he was “chatting” on facebook with some girl – and anyway > he couldn’t do anything for me because the URA website was down (as it > is most of the time). COME BACK TOMORROW !!! The fact is that LINUX is > usually seen as a Server System (KDE & Gnome have seen little > development in recent years and cannot compete with Windows although it > is nevertheless adequate for the requirements of government > authorities). LINUX relevance has nothing to do with the fact that the > software is free but everything to do with the fact that the operating > System and its applications offer more power and security than Windows > Servers. Unfortunately not only users but those in authority believe > that computing nowadays is about clicking pretty coloured boxes and > until a few Servers are broken into and Data destroyed – unleashing a > scandal in the national press - then it is unlikely that anything will > change. The same goes for private enterprises large enough to require > Servers (of which there are sadly very few in Uganda). Brian, to > comeback to your question, how can employers in Uganda recognise LINUX > Qualifications when they don’t know what LINUX is (and that includes the > Universities) ??? The ICT Industry in the Western World evolved through > competition (companies hat to implement efficient ICT or competing > companies would do it better, politicians had to implement efficient ICT > or competing authorities or countries would do it better – and the MPs > would be voted out of office). But that competition does not yet exist > in Africa ”or have you recently asked a voter on the High Street in > Aura, Gulu or Mbarara whether he believed that it would be better for > the government to use LINUX or Windows and whether he would vote for an > MP based on this assessment of government efficiency ??? The blank > expression on his face is your answer !!! Brian, Companies will only ask > the right LINUX questions when the survival of their companies depends > upon it. Equally the government will only ask the right LINUX questions > when MPs jobs depend upon it. The same goes for universities. ICT > departments will continue to smear the obligatory “dedicated to > excellence” All over their BUGGY Websites and can’t even spell LINUX. > Only competition will solve this problem – and that could take many > years !!! I am still astonished, that ICT students sign up for > university degree courses that offer no LINUX Tuition – but as long as > they do that. then Universities will “take the money thank you very > much”. My own Company – GNC Ltd – is currently putting together a > number of LINUX courses. Our courses are aimed at an international > teaching market although we have the requirements of the African market > in mind. Like all commercial courses, they will not offer any widely > recognised “Certification” but are intended to convey valuable abilities > in the LINUX World. Unfortunately we don’t really expect much enthusiasm > from African Universities & Training Institutes for the reasons that I > have already outlined. Africa’s tragedy is the misunderstanding that, > in the end, it is not the piece of paper that you hold in your hand, but > what you can do that determines your success > > Gottfried Daimler did not have a driving permit (or bachelors degree in > automobile science) when he drove the first car through the streets of > GermanyOrville & Wilbur Wright did not have a pilots licence (or > bachelors degree in aviation science) when they flew the first aeroplane > at Kitty HawkUri Gagarin did not have 5 years astronautical experience > when he basted off to be the first man in spaceBill Gates did not have a > bachelors degree in computer science when he and his friends wrote the > first operating System for a PCAnd the streets of Africa are filled with > unemployed kids that have useless bachelors degrees in “you name it” > Regards David M. Gullever CEO - GNC Ltd (Uganda) > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf > Of Brian Ssennoga Sent: 27 July 2011 16:50 > To: Uganda Linux User Group > Subject: [LUG] LUG Training Partner > > Hello people, > > I wonder, if the LUG were to approve an institution as an approved > training partner, > > 1. what kind of courses would you like to see that institution determine > to offer? 2. what other kind of criteria would the LUG set in place? > > Reason i ask, is i cant help wondering what ICT employers in Uganda > consider Industry Level Grade when it comes to Linux/Open Source related > training. > > How do you tell what is the true value of "3 years of Linux experience" > OR the meaning of "good knowledge of Linux systems" > > How about if ICT Employers knew that when it comes to Linux Experience > Grading - a certain institution matches the standards for determining > and approving who we consider a good Linux systems Administrator, or for > that matter, FOSS expert... > > -- > Love indeed conquers all..... > Brian A. Ssennoga > > ___________________________________________________________ > SMS schreiben mit WEB.DE FreeMail - einfach, schnell und > kostenguenstig. Jetzt gleich testen! http://f.web.de/?mc=021192 > _______________________________________________ > The Uganda Linux User Group: http://linux.or.ug > > Send messages to this mailing list by addressing e-mails to: > [email protected] Mailing list archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Mailing list settings: > http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug To unsubscribe: > http://kym.net/mailman/options/lug > > The Uganda LUG mailing list is generously hosted by INFOCOM: > http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > attachments if any). The mailing list host is not responsible for them > in any way. _______________________________________________ The Uganda Linux User Group: http://linux.or.ug Send messages to this mailing list by addressing e-mails to: [email protected] Mailing list archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Mailing list settings: http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug To unsubscribe: http://kym.net/mailman/options/lug The Uganda LUG mailing list is generously hosted by INFOCOM: http://www.infocom.co.ug/ The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The mailing list host is not responsible for them in any way.
