[TYPO3-english] so called TYPO3-supporting providers

[Jigal van Hemert]

Andreas Becker wrote:
> Even before setting up a certification Program there need to be information
> about a defined MINIMUM standard in Hardware and Software Requirements and
> this is not enough as it needs also an example setting of a TYPO3 Server
> environment which will be usable as a hosting platform. And Securityissues
> should matter too!

This will indeed be arranged. You can't have a certification without 
sufficient information for the people/company who wants to be certified.

> Instead of reducing the groups of hosters to some "certified TYPO3 Hosters"
> it would be much better to spread the word about how to setup an ideal or
> most optimum Server/Hosting surrounding for everybody!

Why only one or the other?

> certification Program alone won't help at all as Ries already demonstrated
> on MS Certification and in a similar way also the TYPO3 integrated Developer
> Certification.

Any certification program has a few goals/benefits: someone can prove 
that he has sufficient knowledge (either gained from an education, or by 
himself) on a subject and other can easily verify this.
What is the point of having certificates/diplomas/degrees of course and 
education someone has followed in his life?

A hosting company which wants to have clients from the "TYPO3-market" 
will get certified. If a company is not interested in these clients, 
certification has no use for that company.

> Most often those certifications are misleading people and also taking away
> the responsibility of clients to do a qualified research before choosing a
> developer or agency. 

How can most clients do a 'qualified research' without a lot of 
technical knowledge? They could consult an expert, but how do they 
select an expert?

> It is the same with all those other certification
> programs which boom at the moment more and more. In 98% of cases a
> Certification simply means nothing else, that a company had the money at one
> point to invest in a silver, gold, platinum or what else certificate -
> Examples Magento, eZPublish, and many more and more upcoming OSS Projects in
> future. It is about money and not about quality or reliability and security.

If a certification can just be bought then the certificate is useless. 
At least the MySQL, PHP and TYPO3 certifications involve a tiny bit more 
than just money. Or, how much does a "TYPO3 certified integrator" 
certificate cost if you don't want to take the exam??

> A Community like the TYPO3 Community would benefit most in not going into
> the same direction, but instead spreading the word about how to HOST TYPO3
> so that more and more hosters provide a valuable, performant and secure
> hosting place which will create more and more HAPPY TYPO3 Clients which
> spread the word to new clients. "Inspire people to share" like said before!

In general clients ask for certifications. To them it's impossible to do 
good research and a certificate is easy proof of knowledge and capabilities.
Of course the documentation for hosters must become publically 
available, but a certificate can be valuable for both the hoster and the 
client (and the developer).

Regards,

-- 
Jigal van Hemert.