tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56422474520111482092024-02-08T08:09:26.535-08:00Linux/Open Source Recruitment LandscapeSearch firm specializing in the placement of Linux / Open Source professionals, providing both contract and direct hire services to our clients. Our knowledge of the Linux / Open Source landscape and employment marketplace make us your most efficient recruiting resource.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-74879938851474210072013-02-26T08:08:00.000-08:002013-02-26T08:08:51.223-08:00Linux Professionals in Great DemandDice and the Linux Foundation have partnered on a <a href="http://www.linuxfoundation.org/publications/linux-foundation/2013-linux-jobs-report"> survey </a>that shows that there continues to be strong demand for Linux professionals. One intriguing find from the survey is the increase in the level of difficulty in finding Linux talent. We can concur with this finding. There has always been a shortage of Linux talent to some degree, but that appears to have increased as we slowly rebound from the downturn in the economy. I surmise this is due to two key factors. First, corporate adoption of open source software never waned during the downturn. In fact, it probably increased at a more rapid pace. Second, due to the immigration policies in this country, a number of qualified people have either left this country or have been unable to enter. These two factors have contributed to a major shortfall in the number of individuals with the needed skill set to fill these positions.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-17129152779715889832011-10-20T13:24:00.000-07:002011-10-20T13:38:36.920-07:00Good FOSS Job Article<a href="http://www.itworld.com/it-managementstrategy/214031/open-source-jobs-whats-hot-and-where-look?page=0,0">Here</a> is another good article about the open source software jobs market. Carla highlights a lot of the key areas one must consider when looking for a FOSS related position; from where to look for a position, to the areas that are experiencing the greatest growth. Overall, it is a well written article.<br /><br />Ultimately, the FOSS jobs market is strong at the moment. In the searches we conduct, we are experiencing a shortage of talent for the positions that exist. The number of opportunities are far from the problem at the moment. Thus, when Carla mentions "the sky is the limit", it truly is. Adoption rates continue to climb, and the number of devices that run FOSS continues to increase.<br /><br />On a side note, the one area where Carla's information is just a little off is salary. We see plenty of positions that exceed the $125K level. Granted, these are senior level positions, but there are a large number of them available. Hopefully, something to just look forward to if you are just getting involved in FOSS development.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-49307081424873660012011-09-15T09:27:00.000-07:002011-09-15T10:04:49.046-07:00Article on Finding Linux TalentIt goes without saying that we are in an environment whereby the number of positions requiring an open source software based background has outstripped the supply of the individuals with the skill sets needed to fill these positions. As I have heard time and time again, we are currently in a state of high unemployment, while also being in the midst of a labor shortage. I completely agree with this assessment. A lot of that labor shortage falls in the highly skilled areas. <br /><br />There are many reasons for this; with the two most prominent being the lack of people pursuing a math/science related degree, and the fact that we have done a horrendous job of keeping the quality skilled professionals that are educated here to remain here after their studies are complete. This country was built on immigration, but somehow we have forgotten that phenomenon. Under the current structure, we would rather that person go back to their home country to found a startup than doing it on our soil, even if it is their desire to do so. But, that rant is for another time. We have to deal with the landscape the way it is, and thus we must focus on the best ways to find the needed Linux talent with the hand we have been dealt.<br /><br />This PCWorld <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/239860/how_to_hire_the_linux_talent_you_need.html"> article </a> provides some good insight. Some of the article is purely marketing related; the company/foundation pushing their products, but I am OK with that to some degree. You just have to sift through it to find the substance. <br /><br />From my vantage point, the two most important points for companies out there looking for Linux/open source software talent are getting involved and being flexible. There is no question that if your developers are active and good participants in the community, it increases your chances of attracting the right talent to your company. Your employees will be more satisfied in their position, and at the same time you are setting up a successful recruiting pipeline. <br /><br />The other key that I have stressed time and time again is flexibility in the workplace. Here we are in the midst of a challenging recruiting landscape, and yet a large number of companies are still reluctant to provide a telecommuting option to their engineers. I understand that there are instances where telecommuting is too much of a challenge based on the position, but there are still a number of opportunities that do not allow for this option that it appears could. I tend to think it is in each company's best interest to put together the best engineering team possible. In order to accomplish this feat, in most cases, you have to go outside of your immediate geographical boundary. Therefore, get active and be flexible, and the challenges of recruiting open source software based engineers will hopefully ease to some degree.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-5518916244533660512011-08-09T06:53:00.000-07:002011-08-09T07:07:03.325-07:00Great Series On How To Submit PatchesThroughout the years, I have spent a lot of time writing various articles and posts that encourage people to get involved with open source software. After all, you do not need something particular in your cv/resume that dictates whether or not you can contribute. It is open to all; essentially a survival of the fittest type of mentality.
<br />
<br />Once you find yourself in this elite group of developers, you still must abide by certain documented rules to be successful. As a result, I noticed Greg Kroah-Hartman's six part <a href="http://www.kroah.com/log/linux/maintainer.html">series</a> on "How to piss off a kernel subsystem maintainer". I find it enlightening and somewhat humorous (love the brought to you by at the end of each post). It appears in the latter part of the series that some contributors are now reluctant to send patches to Greg for the fear of providing him material for his rants. Hopefully, that will be short-lived if it is actually taking place. At the end of the day, as with a lot of things in life, there is a certain way to conduct yourself in order to be successful. As harsh as some might think it is, I am glad that someone takes the time out of their schedule to point out these issues. The end result should hopefully be a development process that continues to become more efficient as time goes on.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-40836531121710978162011-06-23T10:41:00.000-07:002011-06-23T10:53:21.352-07:00Good Info About Contributing To An Open Source ProjectOn numerous occasions I get asked about the best way to get involved with open source software. First, I ask them where their interest lies. After they reply, I ask them if they have searched for existing open source projects in this domain. Generally they have not, but once they do, they are on their way. However, there is much more to do before you actually become a participant.<br /><br />This <a href="http://drdobbs.com/open-source/231000080">article</a> on Dr. Dobb's site(via a conversation with Brian Behlendorf) provides excellent information on the expectations one should have when they are first trying to get involved with an open source project. As is the case, there are a multitude of steps one must follow to be a successful and trustworthy member of the project. Being a longtime active participant, Brian provides invaluable information to engineers looking to dip their toe in the water. It is a good read for anyone that is looking to become an open source software contributor.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-84058699962480790502011-06-15T08:53:00.000-07:002011-06-15T09:05:14.783-07:00Will New Contributor Agreement Spur More Open Source Contributions?Just got done reading about the Harmony project via an article on The Register. It can be found <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/14/harmony_open_source_contributions/">here</a>. It will be very interesting to see if the companies with the most open source contributions adopt this agreement. If they do, then it is obvious that it might have legs and become a de facto standard in the open source software industry.<br /><br />On one hand, I can definitely see the need for something like this. It would be nice to have a standard agreement that everyone adheres to. Seems like it would take out any potential or existing bureaucracy, and thus speed up the process. But, according to the article, there is also some points to contend that relate specifically to Canonical and the way they have written their agreements to date. Hopefully, that can all get hashed out, and we can see if the Harmony project will succeed or not. If it does not, let's hope that someone can point out its failures and build upon it with a revised version.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-26192293692836156512011-04-19T13:12:00.000-07:002011-04-19T13:37:58.204-07:00As Jobs Come Back, Talent is SparseThe good news is that the economy appears to be slowly rebounding, and as a result companies have begun hiring again. The bad news, from a corporate standpoint, is that the overall available technical talent is not what one might think given the severity of the recession. This <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/companies-find-filling-jobs-isnt-easy-even-in-a-recession-2011-4">article</a> discusses the challenges companies are facing in their recruitment process. It does a good job of putting it into perspective. A lot of the challenges that are discussed throughout the piece have been experienced by us. <br /><br />Ultimately, we did not witness a lot of open source software based engineers being laid off during the downturn. Companies realized how difficult it was to recruit them prior to the recession, so they held on to them. As a result, the thought that a search that is conducted today will result in a greater number of qualified applicants is a farce in most instances. With that being said, there are still a number of good engineers that are willing to make a move, but they have continuously been employed. There is not a glut of open source software engineers walking the streets looking for a job.<br /><br />Even though challenges persist, we are happy to see that hiring continues to increase at a number of companies. The climate is a good one for a talented open source software engineer.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-53557418601368839162011-04-04T10:44:00.000-07:002011-04-04T10:52:34.152-07:00Article by Ubuntu Community Manager<a href="http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/how-to-get-a-career-in-open-source-939324?artc_pg=1">Here</a> is a career based article written by the Community Manager at Ubuntu, Jono Bacon. It is a good read. It covers a lot of the topics that we have written about in past articles. It runs the gamut from getting initially involved in open source software all the way to the interview stage. Enjoy! If anyone has any specific questions about their careers, you are welcome to email me at brent@hotlinuxjobs.com.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-82644025026673294202011-01-20T10:18:00.000-08:002011-01-20T10:29:11.727-08:00Using Open Source Software to Land Your Next Gig<a href="http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/osrc/article.php/3921161/How-Unemployed-Developers-Use--Open-Source-to-Get-Hired.htm">Here</a> is an article that was put out by Datamation yesterday expressing the benefits open source software contributions can have on your job search. We have discussed most of these points time and time again over the years, but it is always good to have a fresh perspective. <br /><br />The market is luckily improving, but no matter its state, it is always beneficial to be able to direct prospective employers to published code that was written by yourself. The more active participants the project has will increase the likelihood of landing employment as a result of your contributions to that project. But, it is of the utmost importance that you are passionate about the project. It will show in your work. So, as always, find something that you have a burning desire to bring to the public, and code away. I have seen it catapult individuals careers time and time again.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-79938932715603503602010-11-16T09:00:00.000-08:002010-11-16T09:24:37.785-08:00Red Hat Assisting In Introducing Open Source Into University CurriculumRed Hat is expanding its program of introducing open source to leading universities and colleges to include in their curriculum. This is all accomplished through their POSSE (Professors' Open Source Summer Experience) workshops. Full details of the announcement can be found <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Red-Hat-Expands-Program-to-bw-3134033447.html?x=0&.v=1">here</a>.<br /><br />In all honesty, I was not aware that these workshops started at Red Hat's campus a little over a year ago. I have always felt strongly that in order to achieve relevance again in university curriculum, the utilization of open source methods in their teachings was a great base platform. If your goal as an academic institution is to provide your pupils with the greatest chance of career success, why not have them work alongside leading technologists on projects that have real world implications. It has always seemed like a no brainer to me. And, I am glad that Red Hat is putting their weight behind this. I am also glad to see that the Seneca College professors have played a key role in getting this off the ground. I wrote about them last year, and they truly have been trend setters in this arena.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-27082071960200418222010-11-11T09:05:00.000-08:002010-11-11T09:14:43.086-08:00RHCSA Supplants RHCTRed Hat has just announced that starting with the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 6, the base certification will shift from the RHCT to the RHCSA. The RHCSA will be awarded to individuals who can show their ability to perform key tasks of RHEL 6 in today's IT environment. The press release of this change in their certification program can be found <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20101111005737/en/Red-Hat-Introduces-Certification-Role-Based-Training-Paths">here</a>.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-21083801658824572312010-10-19T06:52:00.001-07:002010-10-19T06:58:18.113-07:00Red Hat Establishes Academy in Middle EastRed Hat has just established an academy in Egypt. It will be offering the curriculum that is part of Red Hat's certification program. Students are able to attain their RHCE at the academy. Details of the program can be found <a href="http://www.ameinfo.com/245798.html"> here</a>. <br /><br />A smart move on Red Hat's behalf to set up these academies internationally. They continue to gain widespread adoption of RHEL by international enterprises, and this is a great way to create a talent pool that ensures qualified candidates for these companies.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-41933131096126612792010-09-28T11:30:00.000-07:002010-09-28T11:55:31.669-07:00Are Open Source Developers More Satisfied in Their Jobs?There is a very interesting <a href="http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/www-community/201009.mbox/%3CAANLkTineuw9yurj_gpGCYHZfcMfUQVwE2ENZk5Nx_YAm@mail.gmail.com%3E">conversation</a> that has been taking place on the Apache mailing list over the last week. Grant Ingersoll is trying to collect feedback from engineers that either develop or utilize open source software. He is interested in learning whether or not they are happier in their position than engineers that are working with closed sourced software. Therefore, do open source engineers gain more satisfaction from their accomplishments? Do they have a feeling of contributing to the greater good? As a result, are they more engaged than their counterparts working with closed source software? It is a very interesting question to say the least. And, one that companies should pay attention to in the recruitment and retention of their employees.<br /><br />One of the responses that summed it up best was from Michael McCandless. Ultimately, he stated that even though he has worked with both open and closed source software, he inherently felt greater satisfaction from his work with open source software. He went on to post a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc">link</a> to a YouTube video that puts together a nice illustrated story of why people that contribute to open source software are more satisfied in their job. It is very entertaining, and the artist is quite good.<br /><br />Ultimately, I concur with the videos assessment. If you empower your employees and their work results in assisting other people achieve a goal, it is an uplifting experience for the developers. It becomes a commitment as opposed to a job. The end result is more satisfied employees that contribute to a successful organization.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-74394305281160094402010-09-15T08:52:00.000-07:002010-09-15T09:16:58.842-07:00Staffing Firms Lose H1-B lawsuitI had written a post about this lawsuit when it was first filed. It appears that these technology staffing firms have lost their battle to continue utilizing H1-B visas for contract work that they have available. A full update of the ruling can be found <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/091310-it-staffing-firms-lose-h-1b.html?source=nww_rss">here</a>. <br /><br />This ruling will play a significant role for the future of contract staffing. What will happen with the positions that these contractors have to vacate? Will they be filled by U.S. citizens or Green Card holders? Will the positions move offshore so the current contractors can continue in their positions? It would be very interesting to know the end result.<br /><br />As much as I disagree with the way that some of these consulting firms have operated, whereby they take up the allotment of H1-B visas without having suitable work for each visa participant; I am also fearful of another wave of positions potentially moving offshore. And, the possibility exists of losing much needed technical workers that prefer to remain in the United States. I know this can be a sticky subject depending on which side you fall on, but it goes without saying that in future years we will need to continue to import talent that we lack internally in the United States.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-38733817850361325432010-08-17T06:01:00.000-07:002010-08-17T06:24:13.461-07:00Interesting TidBits From Accenture Survey About Use of Open SourceIn a recent survey compiled by Accenture, it was found that 29% of companies that utilize open source software actually contribute code back to the open source community. Meanwhile, a survey done by Zenoss found that 98% of companies utilize open source software in some capacity. A good overview of the results can be found in a PCMag.com article found <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2367829,00.asp"> here</a>. From my vantage point, both numbers are a little interesting. I am a little surprised that the number of companies that utilize open source software is as high as 98%. There is no question that adoption of open source software continues to thrive, but 98% is a very large number. At the same time, I am surprised that 29% of companies actually contribute back. That seems high to me as well. In a majority of our searches, much greater than 71%, these companies have no plans of contributing back to the open source community. Thus, the ongoing challenge that has persisted for years. Without question, more companies have realized the benefits of contributing back to the open source community over the years, but there is still a long way to go.<br /><br />Where this gets interesting, from our perspective, is in recruiting. I do not believe companies are fully aware of how their lack of contribution back to the community affects their attraction and retention of candidates. Of the most talented engineers that we come across, a majority make it a stipulation of their job search that the position allow them to contribute code to the community. Therefore, does the company that disallows such contribution put it at a competitive disadvantage? From my standpoint, it is a definitive yes. Therefore, I believe that companies will continue to wise up and realize this phenomenon, but there are still many hurdles to get over . Meanwhile, the companies with a progressive open source contribution game plan will continue to gain a competitive advantage over their counterparts in the attraction of the most talented engineers in the marketplace.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-71300666912427924852010-06-10T13:01:00.000-07:002010-06-10T13:12:04.849-07:00CIO's to Increase HiringCIO Update just came out with a summary of the hiring trend for the third quarter. The data was collected by Robert Half Technology. That was my old stomping ground years ago, albeit on the financial side, and their data is usually spot on for the most part. You can find the summary <a href="http://www.cioupdate.com/features/article.php/3886836"> here</a>.<br /><br />In essence, it appears that CIO's are slowly looking to bring on more IT staff. This has not been a V-shaped recovery that a lot of people like to talk about. Instead, it appears more U-shaped if you ask me. And, it follows in-line with what we have been seeing. Since the first of the year, we have seen an increase in positions. But, one must remember where we were coming from, which was pretty much nil. Therefore, any increase is an increase no matter its size.<br /><br />The trend is upward, and at this point that is all we can ask for. On average, a 6% increase in hiring in the technology field for the third quarter. At the end of the day, it is not time to dance in the street, but hopefully it brings more people out of the street and back into the employment market. Let's hope this trend continues.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-38598473167952853712010-04-28T13:47:00.000-07:002010-04-28T13:55:02.405-07:00Canonical Going Solo For Their Ubuntu Certification ProgramCanonical has decided to go it alone in unveiling their new certification program. Up until this time, they have collaborated with LPI. The full press release can be found <a href="http://www.ubuntu.com/news/independent-certified-professional">here</a>. It will be interesting to see if this will eventually increase corporate demand for this certification. Up until this time, not surprisingly, the RHCE reigns supreme. Let's see if Canonical can put a dent in Red Hat's domination of this market.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-74751631402287311842010-04-07T08:20:00.000-07:002010-04-07T09:11:27.236-07:00Companies Grapple With How Much Leeway to Provide Outside DevelopersA very interesting <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/mar2010/id20100330_486211.htm?chan=innovation_special+report+--+eye+on+open+source_special+report+--+eye+on%3A+open+source">article</a> was recently published by BusinessWeek. In it, Dr. Joel West and Dr. Siobhan O'Mahony share their research on the difficulty companies have had in creating a rich open source community based upon projects that have been initially developed internally.<br /><br />On the surface, putting code out in the public domain sounds like a great idea. Take code that was written internally, release it, and then have engineers from far reaches of the world fine tune and enhance it. What could be better than that? It is the ultimate way of efficient engineering. <br /><br />In general, the model works. Plenty of companies allow their employees to contribute mightily to a number of leading open source projects. That has had a profound effect on how we have been able to get to where we are today. However, the focus in this case is the success of projects developed internally with the hopes of being a success externally. That has posed a great challenge to a number of organizations.<br /><br />So, why is it rare that there are so few successful projects that have originated within a company's four walls? As they discuss in the article, it is all about control. Even though there are a lot of companies that will market themselves as open source believers, and many of them may be, they still have difficulty when it comes time to provide developers freedom to tinker with their code. <br /><br />Whether this is due to them following the advice of their legal departments, one can only determine that on a case by case basis. However, one thing is for sure; as great as the open source development model is, it still faces challenges from the inherent proprietary nature in which businesses have primarily been built.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-67886459500224048982010-04-01T09:53:00.000-07:002010-04-01T10:07:07.701-07:00Open Source Companies Hiring As The Tide TurnsHere is yet another <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/d/the-industry-standard/tech-hiring-poised-recovery-and-open-source-leads-the-way-817?page=0,0"> article</a> detailing the strength of open source companies as we slowly climb our way out of the deepest recession in decades. Bill Snyder, of InfoWorld, details the gains in hiring amongst a number of open source based companies. <br /><br />As the landscape continues to thaw, it is open source companies that are benefiting. Granted, it helps that they are relatively small companies. This affords them the luxury of being much more nimble than some of their larger enterprise brethren. <br /><br />One important point that Mahau Ma, of MuleSoft, makes is the lack of talent available as the rebound begins. We have witnessed this first hand. Even though the number of open positions that we are trying to fill is down in comparison to a couple of years ago, those searches tend to be difficult in locating the right talent. Therefore, the demand/supply equation is still leaning more toward the demand side. <br /><br />All in all, this information is just another sign that the rebound is beginning. After a brutal 18 month stretch, that is something to get excited about. And, within it, the open source employment landscape continues to shine a bright light.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-30958215375447895942010-02-25T08:43:00.000-08:002010-02-25T08:56:43.913-08:00Startup VisaI was just reading TechCrunch, and I noticed the piece by Erick Schonfeld discussing the startup visa. It can be found <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/24/startup-visa-jobs-green-card/">here</a>. I was unaware of this idea being floated around until reading this. I realize the bill was just introduced yesterday.<br /><br />Visas are always a hot topic in the field of technology. And, this bill is a great way to reward individuals with green cards that are successful in getting their startup off the ground. There is always fear of us losing our entrepreneurial edge. This helps keep that spirit alive. It is what differentiates us from many other nations around the globe. In addition, immigration is what built this country. Therefore, you add immigration to rewarding individuals with being successful entrepreneurs, and we get back to the core values of this nation.<br /><br />Let's hope this bill gains momentum. Nice to see potential progress on some issues in Washington, instead of watching both sides of the isle bicker back and forth at one another.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-1377854952075636562010-02-24T08:39:00.000-08:002010-02-24T08:50:09.525-08:00Mobile Area Is Surging - Open Source Leading The Way Within ItDevelopers with mobile experience are seeing a surge in opportunities available to them. Not surprising given the success of the iPhone. But, within the sector, open source is thriving. The number of devices running the Android OS has assisted greatly. And, according to this RCR Wireless <a href="http://www.rcrwireless.com/article/20100222/CONTENT_MOBILE_MARKETING/100229998/mobile-developers-a-hot-job-category">article</a>, web development is the leading subcategory in the mobile space. The language that dominates that area just happens to be PHP. <br /><br />Therefore, if your interest lies in the hot mobile market, having an open source background can prove to be very beneficial.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-63661915733675198932010-02-18T08:57:00.000-08:002010-02-18T09:37:14.389-08:00Importance of Corporate Open Source ActivityA lot has been made recently about Twitter having a page on its site that lists the open source projects it has released or contributes open source code to. A list of those projects can be found <a href="http://twitter.com/about/opensource">here</a>. <br /><br />One of the more interesting blog posts on this came from Dana Blankenhorn at ZDNet. It can be found <a href="http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=5888">here</a>. In it he contemplates whether or not, by Twitter having a page on its open source contributions, it assists in recruiting top-notch engineers to the organization. It is a very interesting question, and one I am sure a lot of corporations think about.<br /><br />Ultimately, I think it is a very wise move on Twitter's behalf to announce these contributions in plain view. Engineers that are involved with open source software tend to believe heavily in the principles behind the movement. They enjoy the fact that they can take existing code and continuously improve on it, and provide those changes back to the bevy of open source engineers that will continually do the same. In the end, it provides the best chance of building as solid a piece of software as possible. That is the idea at least in layman's terms. And, it seems to be working pretty well to this point.<br /><br />Therefore, for a corporation to think and behave much like its engineers do is a benefit come recruiting time. You tend to see it time and time again. Much of the top open source talent that exists is employed by an organization that tends to view open source software favorably. Thus, they allow these engineers to continue to release code to projects in which they are active. In the end, it is a win-win for both parties. Engineers are happy that they work for an organization that shares their beliefs; and at the same time, the corporations are benefiting from the software that they are utilizing for their operations being continuously improved upon by the open source community.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-54548867017490805772010-02-10T13:42:00.000-08:002010-02-10T13:59:38.698-08:00Novell and Canonical Up the AnteNovell and Canonical have updated their certification offerings. Novell has partnered with LPI (Linux Professional Institute), with the hopes that the collaboration will increase the number of Linux certified professionals. Canonical has increased its offerings to include hot areas such as Cloud Computing. A great review of these updates can be found in a summarization <a href="http://www.thevarguy.com/2010/02/09/novell-canonical-bolster-linux-certification-and-training-efforts/">article</a> by The VAR Guy.<br /><br />It is good to see competition continually evolve in the certification space. There is no question that Red Hat is the market leader in this area. As I have mentioned before, we see more interest in the RHCE than any of the other Linux administration certifications. And, it is not even that close. As a result, I have always recommended the RHCE as the best way to get ahead, especially for less experienced administrators. With that being said, it would be wonderful to see others join the fray in a meaningful way. There have been a number of certifications that have been around for some time, but they have not been able to put much of a dent in Red Hat's armor. Perhaps with the moves that Novell and Canonical are making, that will slowly start to change.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-59908875772166472582010-01-29T08:49:00.000-08:002010-01-29T08:52:04.697-08:00More Training News - This Time QtKDAB, the Qt experts, is extending the training courses it offers for Qt developers. If anyone is interested, a detailed press release with all the information can be found <a href="http://www.kdab.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=148:kdab-extends-qt-training-offering&catid=71:news&Itemid=18">here</a>.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5642247452011148209.post-64238762846553101922010-01-28T07:33:00.000-08:002010-01-28T07:42:59.515-08:00Training Offerings from Linux CertifiedLinux Certified is offering training in different disciplines over the next month or two. A full detailed schedule can be found <a href="http://www.linuxcertified.com/class_schedule.html">here</a>. It appears to include everything from system administration to kernel internals.<br /><br />I have not spoken to too many people that have utilized their training program over the years, so I am not able to give my opinion one way or the other on the value of it. They do have a student feedback section with some comments. <br /><br />It would be nice if they would post who the instructor is going to be. I would hope that anyone that is interested can get that information prior to spending the money. I would want to make sure that the person is well versed in the subject matter they are speaking about. Linux Certified has been around for a while, so I would assume that they have some good instructors. And, they have some reputable company names listed that have taken part in their offerings. <br /><br />If anyone has direct experience attending one of their programs, I would be interested in hearing about it.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947142104313550712noreply@blogger.com0