Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 8:24 AM, John Fereira <jaf30_at_cornell.edu> wrote: > Craig Jungers wrote: > >> As if to underscore my essay on the proliferation of certifications I >> stumbled onto this..... >> It's a certification course for the Blackberry that includes a 1.5 hour >> exam >> and a US$150 fee. >> > > I think it's a bit unfair to compare that certification described above > with BCU certification. > I didn't so much compare BCU with the Blackberry certifications as use the Blackberry certification as an example of certifications gone wild. I have no doubt that many could think up what they think are valid reasons to have ceritified Blackberry professionals. But I, personally, think it's a joke. If you look upon BCU certifications as a personal challenge then I think that's great and I don't want you to think that I disrespect you for that. What I worry about is the broad acceptance of certifications of any sort as the goal of the endeavor. What may be good for some may very well be anathema for others. I urge everyone to not take it so seriously that you think of it as an exclusive club open only to those who are deemed worthy. I strongly suspect that at some point in the future the BCU assessments and certification program - or any other that gains wide acceptance - will become more of a hindrance to the sport than an asset to the sport. At some point it will become the requirement to be a "professional" and will degenerate into a set of arbitrary hurdles set up mostly to control access to any form of the sport that includes being paid to do it. This is what happens to most certification programs that become successful and widely adopted. I see no reason to think that it won't happen to this one too. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Thu Jan 15 2009 - 22:04:20 PST
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