On Mon, Mar 9, 2009 at 8:23 PM, Russell Keith-Magee <freakboy3...@gmail.com> wrote: > On Mon, Mar 9, 2009 at 1:51 PM, Kenneth Gonsalves > <law...@thenilgiris.com> wrote: >> >> Hi, >> >> I work with a Government department with a mandate to spread FOSS/OSS in both >> formal and non-formal education sector. We are planning to introduce a web >> deployment certification. A person may be a specialist in say RDBMS or >> design, >> but if he is able to deploy his applications (especially open source) - he >> stands a much better chance of being recruited or getting work. I had >> proposed >> testing in a hands on session the ability to: >> >> 1. Set up virtual host with apache/nginx/lighty >> 2. Set up and RDBMS >> 3. Use a 'P' language for business logic >> 4. Build a front end CSS/HTML/JS >> 5. Store the code in a repository >> 6. Set up a bugtracking system >> 7. Demonstrate basic knowledge of the HTTP protocol >> >> Programming ability per se will not be tested. I am getting a lot of flak >> saying: 'this is not what industry wants'. I would appreciate any feedback >> from django-users (we are also, in the next phase, contemplating a django >> certification). I know this is somewhat OT, but after all it *is* in the >> cause >> of promoting Open Source so please forgive me. > > Forgive my bluntness, but if "industry wants" a programming ability > requirement, then give it to them. > > Software accreditation and developer certification programs have > exactly nothing to do with the production of good code - they exist to > absolve HR managers with no domain knowledge of the blame for hiring > the wrong person when a project goes badly. When an employee turns out > to be useless, they can deflect the blame at someone else - either the > employee lied about their accreditation, or the accrediting > organization accredited someone they shouldn't have. Either way, it's > not the HR managers fault, so they remain happy and employed. > > If "industry wants" a programming ability requirement, it's because > the HR manager fears that they will be fired because they hired > someone who can't code their way out of a wet paper bag. You can argue > about to the best way to certify against that outcome, but you can't > argue with the underlying issue. If you try to avoid the issue, then > you're going to end up with a certification that industry doesn't > trust, which will render it worthless.
... and as soon as I press send, I realize I forgot the third option - prove to them why a programming requirement isn't required at all. e.g., Make an argument that someone deploying code doesn't need to know how to write code, and if they want a code writing certification, that's a separate issue. This doesn't change my argument, though. Developing a certification has nothing to do with what you want, or what we (the Django community) wamt. It's entirely about making your audience comfortable that their employees will be able to do what your certification says they will be able to do. Yours, Russ Magee %-) --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Django users" group. To post to this group, send email to django-users@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to django-users+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/django-users?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
