Hey, Dries -- thanks for the clarifications. I've followed up about trademark issues in that thread.
Back to the topic of certification. You write:
I think it is in the Drupal project's best interest if multiple companies can offer certification, and if they can compete on it.
I have to say I disagree with this -- UNLESS all such training leads to a unified certification "brand". That is, the existence of "John's Drupal Certification" and "Suzy's Drupal Certification" weakens both, and Drupal certification as a whole. Employers can't be bothered to figure out which of a dozen certification programs are worthwhile! That's especially true for a comparatively minor product like Drupal. Hey -- it ain't Windows.
But if both Suzy and John could offer courses that lead to a unified "Official Drupal Certification"... *then* we're talking.
I believe it would be a mistake to just throw this to the market and say, "fight amongst yourselves until one of you is at the top of the heap". That would result in a lot of wasted energy, time, work, and money.
The trademark policy makes clear that only you and/or Drupal Association can make such certification "official". This comment is probably true for a lot of people: "I'm not willing to invest time and money marketing a product that makes use of the Drupal trademark at the risk of my license being revoked at anytime for no reason."
If Drupal certification is a worthwhile project, perhaps the trademark policy gives greater urgency to the need for you/DA to create a framework for "official" certs. Having said that, it's still not clear whether the market believes that certification is worthwhile or necessary at this time. Perhaps it's time for a survey of companies listed on the paid services page, among others. The big question: How much will you pay. Without that, the other questions are frankly irrelevant. (One more thing I learned from running that nonprofit. :) )
Hey, Dries -- thanks for the clarifications. I've followed up about trademark issues in that thread.
Back to the topic of certification. You write:
I have to say I disagree with this -- UNLESS all such training leads to a unified certification "brand". That is, the existence of "John's Drupal Certification" and "Suzy's Drupal Certification" weakens both, and Drupal certification as a whole. Employers can't be bothered to figure out which of a dozen certification programs are worthwhile! That's especially true for a comparatively minor product like Drupal. Hey -- it ain't Windows.
But if both Suzy and John could offer courses that lead to a unified "Official Drupal Certification"... *then* we're talking.
I believe it would be a mistake to just throw this to the market and say, "fight amongst yourselves until one of you is at the top of the heap". That would result in a lot of wasted energy, time, work, and money.
The trademark policy makes clear that only you and/or Drupal Association can make such certification "official". This comment is probably true for a lot of people: "I'm not willing to invest time and money marketing a product that makes use of the Drupal trademark at the risk of my license being revoked at anytime for no reason."
If Drupal certification is a worthwhile project, perhaps the trademark policy gives greater urgency to the need for you/DA to create a framework for "official" certs. Having said that, it's still not clear whether the market believes that certification is worthwhile or necessary at this time. Perhaps it's time for a survey of companies listed on the paid services page, among others. The big question: How much will you pay. Without that, the other questions are frankly irrelevant. (One more thing I learned from running that nonprofit. :) )