"certs don't prove anything" ??? I'm not sure that I can agree with that
statement. Certs IMHO represent an interest by the individual in the subject
matter, and a determined effort to undertake studies necessary to become
more knowledgeable.
Certainly, obtaining a cert. does not make one a guru. But it usually
(albeit not all the time) indicates a person who has shown some willingness
to learn. I view the knowledge I gained by studying for my certs as a
foundation to be built upon over the coming years. Perhaps I have only a
passing or introductory knowledge of some subjects at this juncture -- but I
assume -- and I certainly hope that as every year passes, I will build upon
that foundation knowledge and at some point I will undergo a slow, but
steady metamorphosis into a guru of sorts! But at this juncture with my
certs, I would certainly agree that I have just enough knowledge to be
dangerous! <smile>
I would compare the cert study to obtaining academic and professional
degrees. Certainly upon graduation, grads are not experts in any area, but
they possess the fundamentals upon which to build. A lawyer, for example,
may indeed represent any survivors of a plane crash is his/her back yard on
the day he/she is admitted to the Bar, but law school graduation and passing
a Bar Examination DOES NOT indicate an expertise -- but it does indicate the
individual has the foundational knowledge and the potential to become an
expert at some point in the future. I would submit that the same goes for
physicians, accountants, architects, etc.
I think that the real problem is how these certs. have been marketed.
Instead of promising IMMEDIATE big bucks, the certs, should be an entry
ticket into this career. Individuals who possess these certs should be
respected for the time, effort and interest they have shown in studying for
and obtaining a cert. But whether they are PAPER CERTS is truly a
mischaracterization. As I put forth above, every academic or professional
degree is indeed initially a paper cert -- but with potential. IT folks who
obtain these certs by and large have the potential to succeed. Just as
there are bright, average and incompetent lawyers, doctors and others, the
same would hold true in our field. Some individuals in inately intuitive,
without certs, and others -- the majority -- will become the average IT
Joe/Jane who work day-to-day in this field. Certainly there will always be
the small numbers who are totally incompetent. But it is not because the
certs are merely paper.
That's my 2 cents.
Greg Macaulay, CCNP, CCDP, MCSE
Attorney/Law Professor (Retired)
Lifetime member of AARP
Oldest CCNP/CCDP in existence
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of
The.Rock
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2001 12:33 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Cisco Certs Becoming Paper CCXX - Reply to The Rock
oh yeah one more thing...In case you forgot, certs don't prove anything
you really are an idiot if you think they "prove " something). The only
prove your ability to regurgitate info that you supposedly learned. Having
the know how, and knowing how to use are two different things. Lets say your
8 years old and I give you a bunch of craftsman tools, does that mean you
certainly can't handle responsibility if your a "victim".
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