Alan Mead
writes:
Interest in Linux continues to build; and with it, interest in
Linux-centric certification programs. As a psychological test developer and an
employer, I have followed the rise of Linux system
administrator certification with interest. My personal opinion is
that good certification programs with valid exams will strengthen
Linux adoption.
By my tally, there are now at least four independent Linux
certification programs: Digital Metrics, E-Certification,
Linux Professional Institute, and
Sair. SAGE is also rumored to be working
on certification.
And Linux vendors have gotten into the act with training-centric
certification for their distribution. But what is a “good exam”?
What does the Linux community want?
To help understand the Linux community’s certification needs and
opinions, I am conducting an on-line survey. This survey is
what journalists call “unscientific” because I am asking for
volunteers (as opposed to, say, spamming people with invitations).
Thus, to be successful I need a large sample. If you are a system
administrator or otherwise have an interest in Linux certification,
I would appreciate your participation. It should only take
10 to 15 minutes and all individual responses will be kept
confidential. The aggregate results will be publicly available on
my web site after August 2 and I will submit a summary to Linux
Today. Hopefully, the results will encourage certification groups
to create better, more appropriate programs. I can promise that the
Linux Professional Institute, a program I have worked with
previously, will hear the results loud and clear.
Because this research is non-commercial and completely unfunded,
I can only make the survey available in English; none-the-less, I
would particularly like to encourage international participation:
http://conan.ipat.com/~cert/