LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Glen Turner <glen.turner@adelaide.edu.au>
  To  : linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au
  Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 03:23:54 +0000

Re: Certifications (A Model Worth Emulating...)

On the other hand, amateur radio exams aren't exactly held
frequently, because of the volunteer aspect.

Perhaps we should promote a scheme that gives a commercial
testing organisation *non-exclusive* rights to the exam,
plus allowing tests by `trusted' volunteers.

Amateur radio examination volunteers are trusted because
breaching that trust can led to the revocation of their
amateur radio license.

Perhaps the simplest way to get trusted examination
conditions in the Linux community is by trusting
only `established' user groups (whatever they are).

So LinuxSA could hold certification exams during the
monthly meeting.  To add trust, we would allow anyone
at the meeting to be an invigilator (the person at an
exam who sees that the conditions are met).

Trust could also be added by making the completed and
marked exam a public document and placing it on the
table at the next LinuxSA meeting.  [Although I'm not
sure I've thought this aspect right through.]

This would allow certification to be available at low
cost, but at some inconvenience.

Training organisations offering certification courses
wouldn't have to wait for a L.U.G meeting, but could
go the high-cost route and use a commercial testing
organisation.

I am massively, totally opposed to giving exclusive
rights to a commercial organisation.  For example,
Sylvan Prometric can't operate in Cuba because of
US regulations.  A few years ago, it wouldn't have
been allowed to operate in the USSR.  Yet we want
people in both those countries to be able to use Linux
and for accrediation to be available to them.

Richard and Matthew: do we want to put a LinuxSA position
                     to the LPI people?

-- 
 Glen Turner                               Network Specialist
 Tel: (08) 8303 3936          Information Technology Services
 Fax: (08) 8303 4400         The University of Adelaide  5005
 Email: glen.turner@adelaide.edu.au           South Australia

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