You lightly touched on it, but there is a very crucial need for this
certification that happily employed IT people can't begin to
understand.
There are many young unemployables who freely code dozens of
languages, but work at gas stations because they have a blank resume.
I know a very good kernel hacker in Flint, MI who does roofing. I met
another C programmer at a small factory where we both made -less- than
minimum wage.
Some young people live in areas with very high unemployment rates. In
these places, it is not so easy to gain even minimal experience under
high competition. With a resume that contains no related work history
or any education, a certification is a cheap way to prove a small
amount of equivalent real-world experience to get a foot in the door.
I support the BSD certification, and will be recommending it to all
students who would like to find work in the field before they graduate
(or if they can't afford to graduate). I think we should all be used
to the idea that many college students also work full time. An
equivalent linux certification, LPI, costs less than a single college
course.
I have been tracking BSDCG's progress in detail, including their
psychometrics, and this may possibly become the best real-world
experience equivalency IT certification yet, and set an example for
others. They're not trying to make this certification any more than it
is, no more than the equivalent of a few months experience.
Lastly, though I think it's already been said, If you don't like or
need the certification, don't take it. If you think it's equivalency
is shit, then don't consider it when making hiring decisions. If
neither of these apply, go shit in somebody else's bed. Don't ruin it
for those who could really use it.
