Drupal Certification and Requirements

The only thing that will accomplish is having people figure out how to contribute the minimum to get a particular score--just like they do now with the service listing process. Rather then just becoming good community contributors obviously deserving of the recognition, they're always asking what's the minimum they have to do to get listed. We don't need more people and organizations only willing to do the absolute minimum-- we want to encourage and reward good community behavior.

It's the same thing that 'seo' has done to the internet-- instead of sites consistently contributing good quality relevant content, they figure out the minimum they can do to trick the system. And now the entire internet is filled with seo'd garbage sites.

If you want to be a known contributor, with all that comes with it, then contribute. period. And stop worrying about how to get a score someplace. There are no shortcuts.

You seem to be searching for a magic bullet that actually doesn’t exist in any technical discipline. Certifications based on measuring certain metrics or on standardized testing are always imperfect methods of determining total competency in any area. There are simply too many intangibles that can’t be accurately measured in any such system. And attaining such relevant certifications certainly doesn’t guarantee that the person will be a good employee. Managers tasked with hiring usually have to make that determination based on many factors.

You say: “we must provide appropriate and adequate tools for business.” Sure but who is ‘we’? Drupal isn’t some giant corporation with the resources to do such a thing. Apparently no one with enough standing in the community has decided to take the time and effort, and spend the money that this would require, as well as be willing to place their reputation behind it.

I very much doubt that community members are creating modules, themes, or writing documentation primarily to raise their CTR scores. All of those things are usually based on solving a specific problem and contributing the solution back to the community. Yes, the CTR program as it currently exists is as flawed and as closed as its developers fully admit. If you decide to use it as a guide you can at least count on the expertise, willingness to contribute, and even the goodwill of those who created and continue to support it.

Of course you could create and fully document a similar certification system of your own. However, and this isn’t a criticism of you personally, what standing do you have in the community to make any such system more valid than the current CTR?

Until someone or some entity steps up and creates such a certification system as you suggest, CTR is all we have. And it’s probably better than nothing.

as the only one tool to measure developer's skills

Comments like this show how close-minded you are. When have we ever presented CTR as the only tool? If someone else presents it that way you should correct them, but we do not present it that way.

For example, I was a participant and motivator for the panel in Chicago which presented 3 perspectives about certification. I didn't insult or point to flaws in the other ideas instead I helped promote them. Please stop stating lies as if they are fact and using those lies to attack CTR.

What if I will create my own CTR tomorrow and will analyze community in the way I want - would it be fare to others, as I will be the only one who can control how internals work and what results are displayed?

You need to separate your criticisms if you want them to be taken seriously.

First: What if you were to create one tomorrow? That would be fine. You have every right to do that and, in fact, different companies do have lists of preferred vendors or preferred partners that act as a certification for those vendors. In general, other people are less open about their preferred vendors than CTR is about how CTR works. I'd be happy to talk about how we created CTR in case it helps you in building your system (though this thread is not the place for it).

Then you make an indirect complaint about the lack of community involvement/open-ness in CTR. While we have always listened to feedback from a diverse set of community contributors, we are actually working right now to include a much broader set of people in the day to day operations. I don't think having a broader set of people will drastically change the features or trajectory that CTR is on, but I do expect it to be better for a variety of reasons.