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GitHub Certifications (Beta)
- austincheney 6y agoIt is about git and Github so hopefully it will focus more things like digging out of rebase hell instead of the insanity Github actions.
- jmgao 6y agoNope. From the study guide [1], rebase does not even appear to be mentioned, but "Define components of GitHub Actions workflows, including events that trigger workflows, workflow files, workflow runs, and jobs" and "Describe pricing for GitHub products, including GitHub Actions" are. 1: https://github.githubassets.com/images/modules/site/downloads/certifications/GitHub.Certified.Practitioner.Exam.study-guide.pdf https://github.githubassets.com/images/modules/site/download...
- JackMorgan 6y agoWow, no rebase, that's egregious. This isn't a git certification, it's a vendor lock in marketing tool.
- jon-wood 6y agoIn fairness it is very clearly branded as a GitHub Certification, rather than a git certification, so its not like they're trying to hide it.
- russianator 6y agoThis is akin to Salesforce, Oracle and other certifications of their ilk.
- m_eiman 6y agoOh my. This is the first new thing that's very "Enterprise Microsoft" since they bought it, isn't it?
- exdsq 6y agoI think so! I don’t mind it though - it lets Microsoft try and make some extra money that supports the development of GitHub and it lets developers get some cheap signalling for their CV.
- thomasfromcdnjs 6y agoI got the same vibe.
- Aeolun 6y agoAll the things that Github already had in the pipeline are done. Now it’s time for MS to start thinking up new ideas?
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- greatgib 6y agoThis bullshit certification thing that is coming a global trend is going too far! Look at the sample questions, they stuff your head with useless marketing crap and idiots will have to be thankful to have been brain washed...
- ziml77 6y agoBecoming? If anything it was much worse in the 90s and 00s. People don't take certifications nearly as seriously now.
- breakingcups 6y agoUgh, this has Microsoft's playbook written all over it. Introduce a certification, thus increasing the gap between developers who (had their employee) pay Microsoft and developers that didn't. Conflate a generic concept (Git in this case) with Microsoft's specific implementation (Github), muddying the difference in managers' lexicons. Attempt to set Github as a standard to reach in everyone's mind. I mean there's a certificaiton, so it has to be something we shouldn't miss out on, right?
- scrollaway 6y agoI think you're seeing non-existing intent. This seems like a straightforward way to monetize their acquisition without affecting the users (with paywalls or what not). Certifications are a gold mine for enterprise. Also, I have yet to meet people taking certifications seriously on an individual level. The sole way I've seen them used is box-checking when choosing a contractor/vendor. Anyone got a different experience?
- purpleidea 6y agoPersonally I've found certifications are a good way to show you're good at passing certifications, and nothing else. I have nothing against people who show up with their resumes filled with them, but it's not a valuable indicator in my opinion. I'd rather see what they've built. Show me some useful things on your github or blog. That I can see value in. Obviously we're talking about software-related certs, not pilots licenses, etc...
- _pferreir_ 6y agoGoing full enterprise.
- treelovinhippie 6y agoThanks for making us jump through unnecessary hoops to appease future management wankers, Microsoft.
- moltar 6y agoI’m going to create a certification for an “ls” command.
- samblr 6y agoMade my day
- throwaway4good 6y agoLooking at the list of options: ABCFGHLOPRSTUW@abcdefghiklmnopqrstuwx1% ... I'd says it makes sense.
- chrismorgan 6y agoQuestion one: what does the following command do? Is -a
- KnobbleMcKnees 6y ago-bash: Is: command not found
- dalmo3 6y agoGenius comment, spoiled by unambiguous font.
- commandlinefan 6y agoAlways cut and paste.
- wolfgke 6y ago> I’m going to create a certification for an “ls” command. Sounds like a sound business opportunity [pun intended]. Just call it a “microdegree” for better marketability.
- aDotInTheVoid 6y agohttps://ls-certifications.github.io/ https://ls-certifications.github.io/
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- kstenerud 6y agoI hope this dies. I've been around long enough to remember the hell of Java certifications in the late 90s.
- fogetti 6y agoWe have AWS and Google cloud certifications though. I don't find those any less "enterprisy" than Microsoft to be honest. And they definitely remind me of the Java certificates of the 90s.
- hirako2000 6y agoWe will soon be able to hire github certified engineers. Thanks Microsoft, talent driven towards the skills our industry needs will make us all more productive: https://youtu.be/rR4n-0KYeKQ https://youtu.be/rR4n-0KYeKQ
- bsima 6y agofor the down voters, I'm pretty sure this is satire
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- vinhboy 6y agoLOL. Judging by all the comments here, maybe they shouldn't have branded it as "certification". I think "flare" or "badge" would have been better marketing. Or something like... oh I am a level 99 Git wizard... This will definitely help me get dates.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- Animats 6y agoThe outline for the "certification" is like a sales manual for the business. It's like the exam for being an outbound call center marketeer.
- maple3142 6y agoSlightly off topic, but the url seems to be conflict with a user called "certifications". You can find that user using GitHub api or Mobile app, but you can't view his profile page on desktop.
- Cthulhu_ 6y agoIt highlights that while vanity / "root" paths are cool, they also become a challenge later on. They could either have gone with e.g. Reddit's scheme of having users under `/u/certifications`, or put extra GH pages under a subdomain (e.g. certification.github.com or pages.github.com/certification)
- NullPrefix 6y ago>they also become a challenge later on A challenge for the affected user, not for the platform itself.
- rexf 6y agoThey seem to be the first result here https://github.com/search?q=type:user+certifications&type=users https://github.com/search?q=type:user+certifications&type=us... Their profile page is broken as you mentioned.
- eyelidlessness 6y agoCame to say this, and also that the app user link hijacks the page link on iOS. I had to click the ellipsis, then share, them open in safari to even access the page...
- purpleidea 6y agoThe main problematic thing about this is that it can be used as a way for Microsoft to push their beliefs and agendas. It further centralizes git even more. For example (extreme case to make a point), imagine if the questions were like: 1) Which is the most reliable git platform? (a) github (b) gitlab (c) gitweb 2) Which is the best license for new code? (a) MIT (b) GPLv3 (c) ALv2 3) Which is better for coding? (a) spaces (b) tabs (c) both The point is that Microsoft shouldn't be the central authority for git things. Lets make the internet, the web, and development in general more decentralized.
- 3np 6y agoTaking a look at the sample questions provided (questions and correct answers): Q4: Which licensing statement best describes a project to be truly open source? * it is recommended to choose a license because without it, the default copyright laws apply (technically correct but yeah) Q5: Which statements are true about GitHub Marketplace? * a digital catalog with hundreds of software listings from independent software vendors * a place where apps and actions can be found to improve your workflow (marketing/ad)
- yread 6y agoGithub recommended that you choose a license even before MS acquisition
- pg_bot 6y agoIs it April 1st already?
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- tsjq 6y agoEmbrace git by acquiring GitHub. Now extending by adding certification (& some manufactured market value).
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- hmmazoids 6y agoWhile I agree with everyone this certification is probably useless (idk a single hiring manager in my company that told me oh hey the certifications on this candidate are really stellar) and that Microsoft CAN have some hidden agenda here... I would disagree in saying that Microsoft is making Github shit. There have been so many good things Github released since Microsoft took over (Github sponsoring, Github actions, bunch of other things) IMO it's been a major benefit. I'm hoping they don't screw it up
- bArray 6y agoI was hoping for some CA that hackers could use for stuff like IoT. Some semi-distributed point where you could handle individual or groups of devices.
- onion2k 6y agoOne of the example questions is "Which statements are true about GitHub Marketplace?" Imagine failing to get certified by Github because, despite knowing how to use git and github well, you don't know enough about Github Marketplace. Worse than that, imagine not getting a job because you don't know enough about Github Marketplace to get the right certification. Wow.
- ikkah 6y agowhat value I get for having this certification?
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- kalium-xyz 6y agoSecond E nearing third E.
- suyash 6y agothis is worse than MOOC certifications, mean nothing
- lganzzzo 6y agoStupid shit
- Antoninus 6y agoWhats next? bash certs?
- jchw 6y agoI am concerned that GitHub is about to become LinkedIn, a fate worse than death. Hopefully that’s just cynicism speaking, though.
- vmception 6y agommm github stories can't wait
- timvdalen 6y agoWhen hiring, I ignore certifications at best and actively discount them at worst. These things generally mean very little and seem designed to extract money from large corporations with an education budget.
- jbob2000 6y agoI hate these types of certifications if only for the fact that I get asked by people outside the development community if getting the cert will help them enter the community and get a job. I always have to give them a deflationary speech about how software development is about the practice and not a one-time certification.
- OJFord 6y agoDumb enterprisey 'certification' aside, I can see the free course being effectively used during onboarding (esp. intern/grads, but anyone can not have used GitHub or even git before, just because it's not what previous employer used) at which point being 'certified' becomes a handy 'get out of going through that again' card...
- swiley 6y agoAt least at the university I went to we had multiple classes that required using git and plenty of freshmen came in with at least a basic understanding.
- OJFord 6y agoYeah of course, or one might have been contributing to the Linux kernel since age 12, had internships or worked on open source as a hobby. But not everyone, and even if so, there might be value in ensuring a base level understanding of 'use of git & GitHub', especially if you happen to do it in the GitHub proscribed way. I'm sure many organisations have worse/more obvious/less worthwhile-as-viewed-by-new-hire on-boarding to go through!
- bob1029 6y agoWho is seriously looking for these things? If you are still hiring based upon what certificates a person has, I have some really shitty news for you. If I wanted to know if someone could use GitHub, I would ask them to get on a Teams screenshare and tell them to set up a pull request for something quick, like the repo's README.md, link it to the issue and adjust labels. That would tell me in 60 seconds everything I needed to know about the experience level someone has with GitHub. Anything beyond code, issues, labels and pull requests is just one-time configuration or occasional project management duty. Not really a whole lot of complex scary shit going on here. I don't really see the need to start credentialing people for operating within what is arguably the least risky domain for newcomers when it comes to software engineering. Absolutely worst case you just revert your prior commit or re-open the issue...
- dartharva 6y ago> Who is seriously looking for these things? The mass recruiters (or modern indenture owners) that import and place engineers by the bulk. They don't have the time to bother looking for actual practical skills.
- danpalmer 6y agoI've seen those with AWS certifications be unable to put anything together on AWS and I've seen exceptional engineers with plenty of production AWS experience fail the certifications. Security experts fail to get CISSP qualifications, while those who can barely use a computer pass. The security industry considers CISSP to be a bit of a joke for this reason. This sort of certification is in my experience, sought out by those who don't have much else to show, and therefore is often correlated with not being very good. You can learn by rote and pass with no understanding to tick an easy box. I think it's a shame GitHub is getting into this, but cynically it makes sense for them.
- 3pt14159 6y agoI personally dislike tests that are multiple choice. It loads the mind with (sometimes obviously) false data that must be rejected and the ability to pattern match on word usage or even guessing between answers that haven't been eliminated means that the instructor never really knows if the person actually knew the answer and neither does the student. When I used to participate in math contests I'd go out of my way not to read the answers before attempting to solve the problem because it's much more gratifying that to reverse engineer the problem from the input. In the end, I'd resort to that or guessing if I couldn't crack the problem on my own, but then at least I knew which problems I really solved and which ones I didn't. And when I was invited to do more complex math contests than the ones that Waterloo was putting out I was astonished at how much harder just having to write in an exact answer was, since you missed out on the "not one of the options" feedback if you flubbed a number somewhere. With these certification tests it's impossible to really do the same thing. It doesn't even feel like real thinking compared to writing software or prose. Also the pointless memorization of things like "what classes of MITM attacks are there?"[0] don't really get a person to learn the stuff. It's like memorizing the atomic weight of elements. That stuff never stuck for me until I was doing real chemistry and the basic act of looking up a weight each time slowly got me to memorize the elemental weight of the chemicals I was working on. Same goes for all those French words I was forced to learn in Canada. Once I started wanted to speak Russian I was amazed at my ability to actually be able to remember words. I'm not saying these things should never be tested. I wouldn't trust a structural engineer that didn't know what lateral torsional buckling is[1] but the manner in which we test it should be as close the reality we would expect, and this is what we do in engineering school most of the time. [0] Answer: Surveil, Fabricate, Modify, and Deny. [1] Essentially the concept that a tall but thin beam can swing to the side, or "torsionally buckle" when loaded from the top (thus requiring bracing) unlike a beam rotated 90 degrees, which does not require bracing for this reason.
- layoutIfNeeded 6y agoLOL! Advice to juniors: these "certifications" are considered a red flag at most companies you would want to work for. So unless you want to work for Durgasoft™, don't put them on your resume.
- smartmic 6y agoI bet a majority of critics here have a Github account and work actively on the platform. The good news is that we still have the freedom of choice, so, take a step back and resume the control of your code and data. At least think about it. Pushing bureaucratic certification is a step back in history and paves the way towards corporate centralization & exploitation. Look out for alternatives, you can live well without Github stars for prestige and I hope also without Github certificates for your career. After all, Git was made for decentralization, I do not want Microsoft to dictate the future well-being of (professional) developers.
- ezoe 6y agoI really don't understand those certificate business on computer related skills. It changes too rapidly and certificate of last year doesn't guarantee the current skill. Anyway, I quickly glanced the sample exam questions. https://github.com/certifications https://github.com/certifications > Which statements are true about GitHub Marketplace? Honestly, I have never heard about the term GitHub Marketplace at all. Frankly, I don't want to relies on random proprietary SaaS apps somebody selling on random software distribution platforms. > What is a workflow? I don't know. Isn't it possible to (indirectly)achieve every candidates by GitHub Actions? Also, the term is used vague even by GitHub itself. The GitHub documents refer to flow or actions or whatever. > Which statements are true about organizational membership I don't know. Is reciting this knowledge helps on any way meaningful? > How does GitHub alert you for security vulnerabilities? How do I suppose to know that without getting any alert previosuly? By reading every GitHub documents and committing it to the brain?
- viraptor 6y ago> It changes too rapidly and certificate of last year doesn't guarantee the current skill. What product is there which both has a certificate and changes each year enough that the difference can't be covered in less than an hour of reading about the new features?
- npteljes 6y ago>How do I suppose to know that without getting any alert previosuly? By reading every GitHub documents and committing it to the brain? Isn't that how one normally prepares for an exam?
- ezoe 6y agoIt is. Does that knowledge help to use git/GitHub in any way? If you can have a certificate without practically using git/GitHub while people who use git/GitHub every day failed to get one because they don't bother to flash card GitHub trivia, is that certificate worth something?
- 6y ago
- joshsyn 6y agoTf. I have avoided employers that required certifications and will continue to do so.
- lucasyvas 6y agoMy disappointment is immeasurable. This is going to cause a worse Github culture to emerge.
- DontTellAnyone 6y agoNo, thanks. Github was dead to me after they held "diversity" conferences telling people that "tech is not for white folks to lead" and the MS acquisition just sealed the deal. This just reaffirms it again, I will never drive any business or money towards Github.
- gregors 6y agoThere's the Microsoft I know. What an absolutely terrible idea.
- goatinaboat 6y agoIt's funny how we as an industry don't like certifications, yet we all agree that our interviewing process is fundamentally broken. So what's it to be for the future of hiring?