On Wed, November 26, 2008 11:35, Charles Curley wrote: > On Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 04:00:48PM -0700, Daniel wrote: >> There is not a "Hate" for Joe Guru (or Joe the Plumber either), but >> there is comfort in having a reputable company work on your servers > > Gee, Microsoft is a reputable company....
So is Red Hat. This is why Red Hat (arguably) makes money. I can think of one other reputable company.... Novell. I can also think of some not so reputable companies too, like SCO. It sounds like Daniel's organization has made a series of bad decisions regarding its critical IT infrastructure, and appears (at least on the surface) to be trying to correct them. Rather than trust their ability to pick a proper guru, they are going after industry recognized 'experts' who have been certified to support their platform. Of course, many of us here know better than that (having been the experts employed at these reputable companies). ;-) It used to be true that "no one ever got fired for buying IBM." I wish that were still the case. Things are, in my opinion, more complicated now. >> as opposed to a guru whose reputation is unknown. If the reputation >> of the company was unknown it would not be a good candidate either. >> If it is the job of the company to consult they will more likely >> make time for you in your time of need than an individual who has to >> schedule you in amid their primary job. > > This assumes that Joe Guru is moonlighting. Some folks are independent > sole practitioners, and they will "schedule you in" according to your > priorities and those of their other clients, same as any company > would. This is a valid concern. However, I do believe it is possible to determine the reputation of any "Joe the Guru." At least in PLUG. We have 400+ members on the list. Nearly all of them are Linux professionals. The reputation of some of our members is well known. Many are very, very capable. This is one of the advantages PLUG gives to its members - credibility on demand. Perhaps this is why Daniel posted to the list. He is looking for expert opinions to help his organization. PLUG is, in essence, a professional Linux "guild," but without the downside of "organization." Linux groups have, I think, re-defined what a guild can be. Rather than keep secrets, we are a clearing house for them. If you want to know if someone (or something) is "accredited" by the group, simply ask us. If we don't have an existing "accreditation", we will go through the process on the spot - publicly. Dawg-on "open" organizations making things so complicated. Sometimes it is more comforting to choose an organization that keeps its internal workings secret. Believing a lie is always more comforting, so long as you keep believing. >> Plus, if you have a company help you and guru X from said company >> gets sick, his house burns down, or his wife has a baby, guru Y >> could help you out. If it just Joe Guru, and that happens to him, >> you are handicapped. PLUG is here to back fill those positions, with a fresh supply of eager Linux professionals. I'm not suggesting we are better than a full-fledged certified organization, but the power of PLUG can help. I can give many examples off list if anyone is interested. PLUG has saved the day many times, and has helped companies who have lost administrators due to tragedy (or bad decisions), often within hours. In fact, PLUG is the 'second contact' for many buisness out there. If a primary admin is unavailable in a critical moment, super-PLUG to the rescue. Okay, clearly I'm biased. I admit it. >> I have contacted Guru Labs and Knowledgeblue (two "stuffy certified >> support [companies]" (ok maybe not stuffy)). I don't hear any other >> companies being named that still exist (sorry Doran). If you do think >> of another company let me know. > > Good. What little I know of Guru Labs speaks well for them. I know > nothing of KnowledgeBlue. I think many of our members can vouch for the credibility and skill of both companies. Chiefly because many of their employees are members of PLUG. -Ryan /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
