tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594548881489150326.post2545260980471264448..comments2014-03-14T16:35:24.297-04:00Comments on zdsbs: CertificationsZachary D. Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11739142419934264380noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594548881489150326.post-37213486394711010482012-02-27T00:05:28.700-05:002012-02-27T00:05:28.700-05:00@mike I think the apprenticeship movement is a ver...@mike I think the apprenticeship movement is a very good thing (and I wish it was around when I was just starting!). I believe the movement will continue, but will it ever become mainstream? I'm not sure. People are confused how it differs from an internship and it's a hard sell to companies to devote resources to run one.<br /><br />Adding more barriers to our industry... DSC would add another barrier to changing domains. But i'm not sure that's a terrible thing. Sometimes I wonder if our clients aren't getting the short end of the stick because their programmers are experts in their domain. <br /><br />I do see the point though. We have a fractured industry and it would be scary as hell to introduce more bureaucracy that could further the division.<br /><br />I don't think Domain Specific Certifications are the only answer (good / bad I'm not sure). However, I think they are a viable solution to the certification problem.<br /><br />Thanks for the thoughtful response!Zachary D. Shawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11739142419934264380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594548881489150326.post-41972132759899952552012-02-24T14:45:55.638-05:002012-02-24T14:45:55.638-05:00Before I even read the post - wonderful to see you...Before I even read the post - wonderful to see you blogging again, Zach! Keep it up!ekerwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04750159243098329344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594548881489150326.post-53502969099469690522012-02-23T20:17:42.651-05:002012-02-23T20:17:42.651-05:00Hey Zach,
Interesting thoughts. I particularly l...Hey Zach,<br /><br />Interesting thoughts. I particularly like the last line "We can either shape the certifications towards something useful or allow them to be shaped for us."<br /><br />Looking at the video for the CSD program, I heard a lot of terms like "introducing", "foundation", and "grounding in fundamentals". I think it is a probably a good starting point, but I don't think a 3-5 day course is worth a whole lot. That's not a knock in particular on the SA program, I think the lessons of learning and applying Agile and XP practices develop over a much longer time.<br /><br />I was fortunate enough to have good mentors and co-workers who helped me learn and develop some of these skills. I continue to try and build these skills through user groups (like Boston Software Craftsmanship) and seminars. That makes me think that the answer that you are looking for might be somewhere in the apprenticeship model, but how we get there is easier said than done. To paraphrase Potter Stewart http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potter_Stewart, I can't tell you what defines a great developer but I know it when I see it.<br /><br />I would be opposed to the domain specific certification, as the areas where it would have real value would be in areas like finances, bioinformatics, and medical devices to name a few. I think domain certifications would also be a barrier to the cross-pollination that our industry benefits from where developers can cross domains and learn new practices. There are already enough barriers centered around languages and frameworks that hinder our industry.<br /><br />It is a hard problem to solve and you are right, it is not going away. Looking forward to continuing the conversation.Mike Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06117502150590871376noreply@blogger.com