Solveig Haugland (http://openoffice.blogs.com/openoffice/) is blogging from LinuxWorld about the lack of a certification program for OpenOffice.org.
First of all, I agree that we need a certification program for open source and OpenOffice.org. The question is, if there are customers for end-user certification ? Unfortunately I don't think so my self. I have some years of experience from Lotus Notes education. My experience is, that there is very little request for end user certification, but there is a marked for end-user education.
There is a tradition in the IT-department, that everybody should get as many certificates as possible, and I think that on the expert level and for programmers, it would be a good idea to make some kind of certification.
As I see it, there are tree levels of education:
- End user
- Expert (power users or what ever we choose to call it)
- Programming and integration
End users
In Europe we have something called 'PC drivers license' (http://www.ecdl.com/publisher/index.jsp). There is also a 'Junior PC drivers license' and a 'Truck certification' for experts.
Unfortunately this has actually become a 'Microsoft drivers license' over the last ten years. A few years ago I tried to find sponsors to establish an alternative open source certification, but I had no luck then. Times might have changed since, and I could try again.For end users, I think the most important thing is to provide them with a qualified education program. Whether they get a test or not, I don't find important. It will be possible use approximately the 'syllabus' from the drivers license for that purpose.
Power users
Certification it is !
Programmers
I would find it natural if Sun Microsystems could provide that. Most of the content is from StarBasic anyway. We most certainly need a certification program.
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1 comment:
Like anything in OOo there are people wanting to do it but another people preventing to move forwarrd.
Basically there have been efforts to enforce a certification and just have done it but the community (whoever that is) haven't recgnize it.
First you can check out theINGOTs.org which was IMO the stronger point of a certification since it was handled by Ian Lynch (manager of education project in OOo).
However since then the certification development has stalled globally since there hasn't been much uptake on building the network to acquire and provide this certification.
Independent companies have provided their own certification of OpenOffice.org, one example is 123aprende:
http://openoffice.123aprende.com/
Others programs have also offer more certifications but all this efforts lack representation and validation from the community.
Right now a Mexican entity is already going through the validation by the spanish community of a syllabus for the certification of OOo.
I am supporting this effort also by networking with other users across latin america so that at least the effort is not as isolated.
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