Re: Lua Certification - an informal discussion

[Eric Scouten <scouten@...>]

Peter and others, I share your skepticism about certification programs 
and, frankly, CS degree programs (at least in the US -- I won't bash 
those from other countries ;-) ).

When I did my degree work in the late 80s and early 90s -- after already 
having done some successful commercial software development, I was 
shocked at how poorly CS programs addressed what I believe is the key 
skill in software development: knowing how to select and then assemble 
small, seemingly-unrelated building blocks into a coherent entity that 
can solve a much larger problem than any of the individual building blocks.

All the languages and libraries in the world are useless if you can't 
master that skill, and I don't believe for a minute that a 
multiple-choice exam can divine its existence.

Show me what you've already done in the field (even if it was on your 
own time) and I'll believe you're a competent programmer. Show me a 
certificate and I'll believe nothing.

-Eric