David,
> I am not aware of any area where the opinions are "mixed" on
> certifications, except in the sense that incompetent HR people like
> them and the people who have to work with (or worse yet, deal with the
> result from) certified incompetents do not.
PostgreSQL (and other OSS software) is being considered for government
agencies and some companies where written certifications are required for
consideration. No matter how you personally feel about the validity of
certifications, there are large organizations which are wedded to them.
PostgreSQL not having certifications won't change their minds; it'll just
exclude PostgreSQL from competition.
Of course, I also believe that certification (like other-DB compatibility
and back-patches) is appropriate for commercial PostgreSQL companies and
not for the project. Which is why it's keen that SRA has decided to offer
their test in the US.
--
--Josh
Josh Berkus
Aglio Database Solutions
San Francisco
