A profit center for himself and a cost center for the one who pays (client or employer). If the work "the proffesional" does is worth more than what you pay for it, then is a profit center for the one who pays too.
If you want to mean that a non-certified programmer can do the same work than a certified one, then I agree: in a lot of cases is the same work. Sometimes better, sometimes worse.
But that's not the point. The point is certification and standarization, same as with ISO 9000, 9001, 9002, ... quality norms. Certification is a way to try to ensure to the customer that what he buys is complying a certain standard of quality, be it a car or a software. It does not make you a better programmer, but your customer does not know in advance whether you are a good programmer; with a certification the customer knows that at some extent you meet some requirements and expertise. That's not a bad idea.
If you ask me, I'm not planning to attend any of those certification exams. Maybe it's because I'm not good enough.
>Does university makes you a better professional?
>It depends: Is the professional a cost center or a profit center?
>
>>Does university makes you a better professional? I you look at how successful has been Bill Gates after dropping college one might think that having a dregree is a painfull waste of time, that is a wiser choice to follow Gates' path. But I think that for the vast majority having a college degree does indeed "help" to be a better professional.
>>
>>>Do developers with certification write better programs than those without?
>>>
>>>
>>>>Hiya -
>>>>IF you've been sitting on the fence waiting to take your certification exams -
>>>>please note that the MCSD certification exam period expires on June 30, 2004.
>>>>
>>>>Not sure what will happen after that time ..
>>>>But ?
>>>>If you're gonna take 4 exams to get your MCSD cert, why not take 2 more and get your MCDBA as well ?
>>>>
>>>>take a look at
http://www.microsoft.com/certification>>>>and study the exam matrix. One elective exam in MCSD can count for a REQUIRED exam in the MCDBA, and one of the VFP exams counts as an elective in the MCDBA exam.
>>>>
>>>>Most testing centers are at 100-125 per exam, and if you are attached to a university in any way, see if they have a testing center - you automatically qualify for a testing discount.
>>>>
>>>>Mondo Regards [Bill]
