BookmarkSubscribeRSS Feed

As discussed in this thread, it would be useful to have badges on the SAS Communities Forums. While an expert participant in the community need not be certified, badges recognize the background of community members. They also lend credibility to answers about certificaion levels and exams.

 

The existing community badges and ranks can encourage participation, but showing certification badges or ranks would be aligned with the professional recognition from SAS.

8 Comments
JuanS_OCS
Amethyst | Level 16

Kudos +1 !

RW9
Diamond | Level 26
Diamond | Level 26

So your idea is to display someones certificates (personal information) and base assesments on those certificates?  Or to put it another way, someone without those certificates you deem appropriate is not to be listened to.  I don't think so, thats just academic discrimination.

paulkaefer
Lapis Lazuli | Level 10

@RW9: Nope, this is not a suggestion for ignoring people based on certifications or not. As mentioned in this thread, the list of who has them or not is available online.

 

This is more about recognition for your accomplishments, and to mention your certification in the community.

JuanS_OCS
Amethyst | Level 16

Let me come in.

 

@paulkaefer, correct me if I am wrong, please.

 

I think that the implementation idea is just to publish the badges based on your public certificates (as of Acclaim/Public Directory of SAS Proffesionals), same as it is published your attendance on a SAS forum,as an example. That is it. Simple and useful for some people. A recognition.

ChrisHemedinger
Community Manager

Hi All --

 

This is something we're considering.  As you can imagine, attributing a certification is a much more serious credential than some of our other badges ("Congrats on receiving 5 likes!").  It requires a higher level of data integrity so that we don't mis-assign or omit eligible members.  The Acclaim digital badging is one option, but you'll appreciate this as a data management problem -- no guaranteed common key between the communities data and the Acclaim/Public Directory data.

 

Anyway, thanks for the idea and validation that this would be a useful addition.  We'll keep researching our options.

RW9
Diamond | Level 26
Diamond | Level 26

Well, just looking at what has been written above, if these "certifications" are not being used to evaluate posts, what are they for?  Just for showing off?  The badges in generally don't really appeal to me, however this is different.  Regardless of how it is implemented it will a) put people off posting here, b) discriminate against those who don't have it.  Currently anyone can post, and programming is not a black and white subject, it is an art form.  Everyone can have a good opinion regardless.  I really don't see what this will add, sure if your really interested in seeing someones background, go read up on it, but that has nothing to do with whether an answer is useful - and this ia a Q&A site, not LinkedIn or some other social media site.  

ChrisHemedinger
Community Manager

Hi @RW9 - I agree that "anyone can make it" on the SAS Support Communities site.  All it takes is the time to listen, and the skill to share your experience -- whatever level that might be.  Having fancy credentials doesn't make your answers better.

 

That said, we have heard that the idea of reputation is important on our communities, and being SAS Certified is one way to help that reputation.  (Full disclosure: I don't currently hold a SAS certification.  Embarrasing, right?)  We'll continue to look for a way to recognize folks who have earned the certifications...but also present this information in a way that's not overbearing or divisive.

ronan
Lapis Lazuli | Level 10

I fully agree with RW9. I have known electronic forums for almost 20 years on the Web (& beyond : Usenet non-moderate jungle-like groups ...) and hierarchy signals like badges (God / Half-God / Quarter divine/ High priest / Low priest / Layman / mere mortal & the likes) repel me in general. I have observed too many who believed so strongly to their electronic ranks that they forgot who they were in the real world. Here - in my opinion - we're (supposed to be) all equals and certifications or degrees, even years of work experience are not meaningful enough to add anymore weight to the personal contributions.

I have met exceptional SAS coders - ways more gifted than I - who did't pass some certifications and some who held them whose practical skills were highly questionable. That sobered me also.

I know that following this line of thought might not be to everyone's taste : some would claim for (legitimate) rewards for their useful time spent on-line generously answering many questions. SAS community wisely rewards with some quantitative based badges already, that's good for me.

Reputation can be helpful, even virtuous perhaps but misleading sometimes so personally I don't trust it so much.

 

So-called 'anarchists' generally respect the 5th commandment of Bertrand Russel's Liberal Decalog while other participants might favor some more order. It's difficult to find some common ground.