Before You Take That Storage IT Certification....

Our recent article on storage IT certifications was no sooner posted than the emails started to roll in. It seems there are some unsettling "news-behind-the-news" facts our readers ought to know.

First, there's the issue of unauthorized test materials. When we posted our article originally, we included a link to a site we were later told belongs to a so-called "braindump," where prospective test-takers can buy "cheat sheets" or even entire copies of the tests they'll be given.

At least one source said we were in danger of endorsing cheating.

"The issue that we run into on a daily basis is that writers and authors such as yourself are not completely aware of the repercussions that could arise from the promotion of such sites," wrote Robert Williams, CEO of CertGuard Inc., in an email to me last night. "What I'm asking of you is that you help protect the certifications of your readers by removing or editing the reference of that link, and provide one that guides your readers to a legitimate website that provides honest study materials."

After contacting a range of vendors and speaking at length with Robert Williams, it became apparent that a nest of vipers lurks beneath the happy facade of many seemingly innocent certification sites. In light of this, we have written a followup article that summarizes the problem comprehensively. Unless you check out where your testing materials originated, you could risk losing your certifications -- not exactly a career-enhancing move.Another caveat comes from David Vellante, cofounder of IT consultancy Barometrix and a cofounder of the Wikibon Project for open source research and advice. He strongly suggests scoping out the financial aspects of certification before diving in. "Often companies will require employees to agree to stay on for X number of months or sometimes longer after receiving certification or be required to pay back a portion of the certification fee," Vellante warns. "If you feel like this is your situation, it might be worth it to pay for the certification yourself to enhance your value to your next prospective employer and not burn any bridges."

Duly noted. And by all means, if there are other issues with certification, let us know. We'll pass the word along.Have a comment on this story? Please click "Discuss" below. If you'd like to contact Byte and Switch's editors directly, send us a message.