How good do I have to be...

[GundamSonicZeroX]

I'm thinking of taking the HTML Certification test, but I do not want to waste $59 if I fail or get a score that I'm not satisfactory with. Is there anyway that I can tell if I'll pass without throwing money down the drain?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Crusty]

There's an HTML certification test?

Who gives it?

 

[GundamSonicZeroX]

Originally posted by: Crusty
There's an HTML certification test?

Who gives it?

W3schools gives the test.

Link to the certification program.

Link to the test.

 

[troytime]

save 60 bucks and just put "HTML Certified" on your resume.

 

[WannaFly]

Originally posted by: troytime
save 60 bucks and just put "HTML Certified" on your resume.

I had no idea an HTML "certification' existed until now, but I have to agree after reading this....

The HTML exam will be taken over the Internet, at any time and from any location, but the exam should be supervised by a person selected by the exam candidate

and

To add full creditability to your Certificate, you should have a supervisor to watch over you when taking the exam. You must pick your own supervisor.

this sounds worthless..

 

[KB]

Wow everyone making a certification nowadays! There is so much money in it for the companies.
If I saw you had this certification during an interview, I would actually count it against you.

 

[aceO07]

What are you hoping to achieve by getting this 'certification'? If it's to learn something and test yourself, there are other ways. If it's for the resume, don't bother. I have never seen any company request certification in HTML. What is typically asked is for a portfolio and/or years of experience.

 

[Hyperblaze]

wait wait wait a second.....

they called someone HTML certified a HTML developer? http://w3schools.com/cert/pic_html_certif.jpg

I think they throw around the word "developer" a bit too easily now.

PHP/ASP/CF/Ruby Developer I can understand. You work with logic and code.

HTML is just...tags.....

Sure you have to understand the tags and use them properly.....but calling them a developer is a joke. It's more design then anything else.

 

[George P Burdell]

If I was looking at resumes and saw "HTML certified", be sure that I'd laugh my ass off and never hire the guy.

 

[onemo]

CIW Associate or Pro might be a little more marketable.

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: onemo
CIW Associate or Pro might be a little more marketable.

I've never even heard of CIW.

 

[SoundTheSurrender]

This would be useful say... back in 1997.

 

[onemo]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: onemo
CIW Associate or Pro might be a little more marketable.

I've never even heard of CIW.

I'd never heard of it either, until it was a requirement for a degree plan at an online school I am planning on enrolling in. I think it's decent because it seems very broad in terms of scope, so it might serve nicely to round out someones exposure to web technologies.

 

[Markbnj]

Originally posted by: Hyperblaze
wait wait wait a second.....

they called someone HTML certified a HTML developer? http://w3schools.com/cert/pic_html_certif.jpg

I think they throw around the word "developer" a bit too easily now.

PHP/ASP/CF/Ruby Developer I can understand. You work with logic and code.

HTML is just...tags.....

Sure you have to understand the tags and use them properly.....but calling them a developer is a joke. It's more design then anything else.

It's a purely declarative language, and if the standards were applied more consistently it would tend toward expression in visual design tools rather than text editors, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that calling it "development" is a joke. Very few, if any, modern sites can get anything done with just HTML, as you know. Complex CSS rules and javascript are the norm, and the lines between who does visual and who does behavior get blurry.

Having said that, I don't disagree on the general attitude toward certification. Microsoft has managed to make their programs somewhat meaningful in the corporate world, but in general I still give a lot more weight to work examples and the ability to understand and express complex technical ideas in clear language.

 

[pcnerd37]

Considering pretty much everybody with a myspace page can do HTML, I dont think holding a certification in it has any value.

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: pcnerd37
Considering pretty much everybody with a myspace page can do HTML, I dont think holding a certification in it has any value.

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: pcnerd37
Considering pretty much everybody with a myspace page can do HTML, I dont think holding a certification in it has any value.

A lot of young people can write HTML because they learn it at school. Where I work everyone can write HTML, including the secretary.

 

[Markbnj]

Originally posted by: Atheus

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: pcnerd37
Considering pretty much everybody with a myspace page can do HTML, I dont think holding a certification in it has any value.

A lot of young people can write HTML because they learn it at school. Where I work everyone can write HTML, including the secretary.

There's got to be a distinction between writing HTML, and being able to code up a page that implements something useful and that works consistently across browsers. I know quite a few people who can use simple batch commands, too, but that doesn't devalue the skills of admins who are very good at complex batch scripts for system management tasks.

 

[troytime]

Originally posted by: Markbnj

Originally posted by: Atheus

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: pcnerd37
Considering pretty much everybody with a myspace page can do HTML, I dont think holding a certification in it has any value.

A lot of young people can write HTML because they learn it at school. Where I work everyone can write HTML, including the secretary.

There's got to be a distinction between writing HTML, and being able to code up a page that implements something useful and that works consistently across browsers. I know quite a few people who can use simple batch commands, too, but that doesn't devalue the skills of admins who are very good at complex batch scripts for system management tasks.

word
knowing SOME html != knowing html
everyone at my office knows how to bold, underline and link
they might pretend that they know html, but they wouldn't have a clue on how to actually layout a page

and whoever mentioned myspace kids knowing html should bail out of this topic immediately
i've seen a total of 3 decent looking myspace layouts, and i'm sure those were copied from some myspace template website

 

[Hyperblaze]

Originally posted by: troytime

Originally posted by: Markbnj

Originally posted by: Atheus

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: pcnerd37
Considering pretty much everybody with a myspace page can do HTML, I dont think holding a certification in it has any value.

A lot of young people can write HTML because they learn it at school. Where I work everyone can write HTML, including the secretary.

There's got to be a distinction between writing HTML, and being able to code up a page that implements something useful and that works consistently across browsers. I know quite a few people who can use simple batch commands, too, but that doesn't devalue the skills of admins who are very good at complex batch scripts for system management tasks.

word
knowing SOME html != knowing html
everyone at my office knows how to bold, underline and link
they might pretend that they know html, but they wouldn't have a clue on how to actually layout a page

and whoever mentioned myspace kids knowing html should bail out of this topic immediately
i've seen a total of 3 decent looking myspace layouts, and i'm sure those were copied from some myspace template website

I just have an issue with someone knowing how to write HTML to be considered a developer. They are called Web Designers for a reason.

 

[Hyperblaze]

Originally posted by: Markbnj

Originally posted by: Hyperblaze
wait wait wait a second.....

they called someone HTML certified a HTML developer? http://w3schools.com/cert/pic_html_certif.jpg

I think they throw around the word "developer" a bit too easily now.

PHP/ASP/CF/Ruby Developer I can understand. You work with logic and code.

HTML is just...tags.....

Sure you have to understand the tags and use them properly.....but calling them a developer is a joke. It's more design then anything else.

It's a purely declarative language, and if the standards were applied more consistently it would tend toward expression in visual design tools rather than text editors, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that calling it "development" is a joke. Very few, if any, modern sites can get anything done with just HTML, as you know. Complex CSS rules and javascript are the norm, and the lines between who does visual and who does behavior get blurry.

Having said that, I don't disagree on the general attitude toward certification. Microsoft has managed to make their programs somewhat meaningful in the corporate world, but in general I still give a lot more weight to work examples and the ability to understand and express complex technical ideas in clear language.

I agree that Certifications come in handy when you lack experience. However, if you have over 2+ years of experience, a certification isn't as much needed. Although I will admit that some clueless HR person will zoom in on the certification "keywords". Question is, do you really want to work were the HR person is absolutely clueless on what is needed? You might end up working something completely different then what was advertised.

 

[troytime]

Originally posted by: Hyperblaze

Originally posted by: troytime

Originally posted by: Markbnj

Originally posted by: Atheus

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: pcnerd37
Considering pretty much everybody with a myspace page can do HTML, I dont think holding a certification in it has any value.

A lot of young people can write HTML because they learn it at school. Where I work everyone can write HTML, including the secretary.

There's got to be a distinction between writing HTML, and being able to code up a page that implements something useful and that works consistently across browsers. I know quite a few people who can use simple batch commands, too, but that doesn't devalue the skills of admins who are very good at complex batch scripts for system management tasks.

word
knowing SOME html != knowing html
everyone at my office knows how to bold, underline and link
they might pretend that they know html, but they wouldn't have a clue on how to actually layout a page

and whoever mentioned myspace kids knowing html should bail out of this topic immediately
i've seen a total of 3 decent looking myspace layouts, and i'm sure those were copied from some myspace template website

I just have an issue with someone knowing how to write HTML to be considered a developer. They are called Web Designers for a reason.

there's a lot of gray areas

i agree that just html isn't really a developer (nowadays. 10 years ago it was a different story)
but just html isn't a designer either

 

[Hyperblaze]

Originally posted by: troytime

Originally posted by: Hyperblaze

Originally posted by: troytime

Originally posted by: Markbnj

Originally posted by: Atheus

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: pcnerd37
Considering pretty much everybody with a myspace page can do HTML, I dont think holding a certification in it has any value.

A lot of young people can write HTML because they learn it at school. Where I work everyone can write HTML, including the secretary.

There's got to be a distinction between writing HTML, and being able to code up a page that implements something useful and that works consistently across browsers. I know quite a few people who can use simple batch commands, too, but that doesn't devalue the skills of admins who are very good at complex batch scripts for system management tasks.

word
knowing SOME html != knowing html
everyone at my office knows how to bold, underline and link
they might pretend that they know html, but they wouldn't have a clue on how to actually layout a page

and whoever mentioned myspace kids knowing html should bail out of this topic immediately
i've seen a total of 3 decent looking myspace layouts, and i'm sure those were copied from some myspace template website

I just have an issue with someone knowing how to write HTML to be considered a developer. They are called Web Designers for a reason.

there's a lot of gray areas

i agree that just html isn't really a developer (nowadays. 10 years ago it was a different story)
but just html isn't a designer either

technically speaking, anyone can design a page using html (and css).

Now whether or not it's a GOOD design is a completely different story!

Same as for PHP for example. Extremely easy to code with, however, I've seen code flows (or lack of) which have almost made me puke.

Knowning syntax is one thing, knowing good structure and code flow is entirely different.
Makes the difference between amature, good, skilled, and guru developers.

edit: same with sql statements.

From someone who doesn't know any better, to retrieve a username and password from the user table i'd expect....

select * from user where id = 'whatever'

From someone more skilled I'd expect....

SELECT `username`, `password`
FROM `user`
WHERE `id` = 'number'

although I kinda like using this naming convention myself....

SELECT `vcUser`, `vcPassword`
FROM `tblUser`
WHERE `pkiUserId` = 'number'

 

[troytime]

Originally posted by: Hyperblaze

Originally posted by: troytime

Originally posted by: Hyperblaze

Originally posted by: troytime

Originally posted by: Markbnj

Originally posted by: Atheus

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: pcnerd37
Considering pretty much everybody with a myspace page can do HTML, I dont think holding a certification in it has any value.

A lot of young people can write HTML because they learn it at school. Where I work everyone can write HTML, including the secretary.

There's got to be a distinction between writing HTML, and being able to code up a page that implements something useful and that works consistently across browsers. I know quite a few people who can use simple batch commands, too, but that doesn't devalue the skills of admins who are very good at complex batch scripts for system management tasks.

word
knowing SOME html != knowing html
everyone at my office knows how to bold, underline and link
they might pretend that they know html, but they wouldn't have a clue on how to actually layout a page

and whoever mentioned myspace kids knowing html should bail out of this topic immediately
i've seen a total of 3 decent looking myspace layouts, and i'm sure those were copied from some myspace template website

I just have an issue with someone knowing how to write HTML to be considered a developer. They are called Web Designers for a reason.

there's a lot of gray areas

i agree that just html isn't really a developer (nowadays. 10 years ago it was a different story)
but just html isn't a designer either

technically speaking, anyone can design a page using html (and css).

Now whether or not it's a GOOD design is a completely different story!

Same as for PHP for example. Extremely easy to code with, however, I've seen code flows (or lack of) which have almost made me puke.

Knowning syntax is one thing, knowing good structure and code flow is entirely different.
Makes the difference between amature, good, skilled, and guru developers.

good points!!
now for the real deal - do you use tabs or spaces to indent code?

 

[Hyperblaze]

Originally posted by: troytime

Originally posted by: Hyperblaze

Originally posted by: troytime

Originally posted by: Hyperblaze

Originally posted by: troytime

Originally posted by: Markbnj

Originally posted by: Atheus

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: pcnerd37
Considering pretty much everybody with a myspace page can do HTML, I dont think holding a certification in it has any value.

A lot of young people can write HTML because they learn it at school. Where I work everyone can write HTML, including the secretary.

There's got to be a distinction between writing HTML, and being able to code up a page that implements something useful and that works consistently across browsers. I know quite a few people who can use simple batch commands, too, but that doesn't devalue the skills of admins who are very good at complex batch scripts for system management tasks.

word
knowing SOME html != knowing html
everyone at my office knows how to bold, underline and link
they might pretend that they know html, but they wouldn't have a clue on how to actually layout a page

and whoever mentioned myspace kids knowing html should bail out of this topic immediately
i've seen a total of 3 decent looking myspace layouts, and i'm sure those were copied from some myspace template website

I just have an issue with someone knowing how to write HTML to be considered a developer. They are called Web Designers for a reason.

there's a lot of gray areas

i agree that just html isn't really a developer (nowadays. 10 years ago it was a different story)
but just html isn't a designer either

technically speaking, anyone can design a page using html (and css).

Now whether or not it's a GOOD design is a completely different story!

Same as for PHP for example. Extremely easy to code with, however, I've seen code flows (or lack of) which have almost made me puke.

Knowning syntax is one thing, knowing good structure and code flow is entirely different.
Makes the difference between amature, good, skilled, and guru developers.

good points!!
now for the real deal - do you use tabs or spaces to indent code?

spaces.

in quanta I have an option to turn tabs into spaces.

by the way, what's your feedback on my sql example?