New poll on The Paper Chase

[LAVA 1.0 Content]

QUOTE (Tom Bress @ Aug 21 2008, 03:55 PM)

... What are the recerts like for each level of certification?

The CLA re-cert is just the CLA exam all over again.

Ben

[TobyD]

QUOTE (crelf @ Aug 21 2008, 12:34 PM)

Wouldn't it be cheaper and faster to just take the recert?

Not for those who are already active in the community and could rack up enough recert units through normal activity.

[ASTDan]

QUOTE (Tom Bress @ Aug 21 2008, 03:55 PM)

Actually, I don't know. I haven't had to recertify yet, ever, so I don't know what is involved. I've always gotten the next higher certification before my old one ran out.

Does it cost money? What are the recerts like for each level of certification?

I have taken the re-cert for the CLD. It is a 1 hour multiple choice exam like the CLAD. I was able to take the exam a local training center 10 minutes from my house. I got my results imeadiatly aftwards. I have to take the re-cert again very soon. I think it costs $200. I received a voucher for attending a NI developer days for $200 off training and recertification. So this time around it will be free.

I was very impressed with NI's recertification process. I like being able to take it at a local testing center, and having my test results right now was great! :thumbup:

Dan

[Karissap]

QUOTE (TobyD @ Aug 21 2008, 02:14 AM)

Peoples lives and safety depend on these rules. If I write ugly code, it is not usually going to physically harm anything

For some programmers peoples lives and safety do depend on their code. LabVIEW is being used increasingly in critical process control and medical instrumentation. "Ugly Code" and Race conditions have killed people before eg. the infamous http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therac-25' rel='nofollow' target="_blank">Therac-25.

Ugly code makes software harder to review, find bugs and test.

So beware of the killer spaghetti code!

[JiMM]

QUOTE (Tom Bress @ Aug 21 2008, 01:25 PM)

Another idea would be for NI to set up a Continuing Education Units (CEU) system. Go to a user group meeting, get a small number of CEUs. Give a presentation at a user group meeting, get a larger number of CEUs. Accumulate them for going to Developer Education Days, NI Week, taking training classes, etc. If you meet a certain target number of CEUs during your certification period you don't have to take a recert test. If you don't meet the target you do take the recert test.

There aren't user groups everywhere, and not everyone can go to Developer Education Days or NI Week.

QUOTE (Karissap @ Aug 25 2008, 07:00 PM)

For some programmers peoples lives and safety do depend on their code. LabVIEW is being used increasingly in critical process control and medical instrumentation. "Ugly Code" and Race conditions have killed people before eg. the infamous

Therac-25

.

Ugly code makes software harder to review, find bugs and test.

So beware of the killer spaghetti code!

[LAVA 1.0 Content]

QUOTE (Karissap @ Aug 25 2008, 07:00 PM)

... the infamous Therac-25.

...

Still off-topic

The Therac-25 used a DEC PDP-11 as shown in this wiki article.

Well it just so happens that I have a the front panel of a PDP-11/70 on my desk!

http://lavag.org/old_files/monthly_08_2008/post-29-1219765052.jpg' target="_blank">

I use it a visual aide for the rookies to get an idea of what computers were like "back in the day".

Ben

[PaulG.]

QUOTE (neB @ Aug 21 2008, 03:32 PM)

... I could post to the Dark-Side or here on LAVA looking for sponsors. If you get three or more sponsors (indicating that they can confirm I have remained active) no re-test ...

"Sponsors"? What then? "The 12 Steps for LabVIEW-aholics"? :laugh:

[TobyD]

QUOTE (Karissap @ Aug 25 2008, 04:00 PM)

For some programmers peoples lives and safety do depend on their code. LabVIEW is being used increasingly in critical process control and medical instrumentation. "Ugly Code" and Race conditions have killed people before eg. the infamous http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therac-25' rel='nofollow' target="_blank">Therac-25.

True, there are cases where faulty software has killed or seriously injured people - but I still don't think writing software and flying a plane have too much in common. We could make training and certification a requirement to write code for any commercial application as it is a requirement to fly a plane, but I don't think that would prevent potentially deadly bugs from creeping into the code.

The killer spaghetti code will always find a way :ninja:

[JiMM]

QUOTE (neB @ Aug 26 2008, 11:38 AM)

Still off-topic

The Therac-25 used a DEC PDP-11 as shown in this wiki article.

Well it just so happens that I have a the front panel of a PDP-11/70 on my desk!

I use it a visual aide for the rookies to get an idea of what computers were like "back in the day".

Ben

Didn't every University have a PDP-11 in the late '70s? I wrote my first program on a terminal connected to one. That's one piece of history you have there. :thumbup:

[Tom Bress]

Dragging the thread kicking and screaming back to its original topic, the poll has closed and the results are in. 37% voted for 2 years, 33% for 3 years, 16% for 4 years, 12% for "Once certified, always certified". Twenty-four votes were cast.