not much participation....

[lusha tak]

I am xml cert aspirant and i will be appearing for xml 141 by first week of December...
Frenz, i dont find this group much active...of course javaranch was a great help during my scjp preparation...but for xml it seems to be pretty dead...I am sure other guys who are preparing for the ibm 141 also feel the same way....can anybody out there suggest me a good source/link for preparation for xml certification...i have also enrolled myself for the xml-cert mailing list on Yahoo...but it is also disappointing any ideas and suggestions are most welcome...
Thanks
Lusha

[v giri]

Generally you find a group very active when lots of active members are pursuing the certification. This typically happens when it is newly introduced (see SCBCD) or a new version is released. Nevertheless all all old posts are relevant for XML as the exam has remained same for some time now.
You can start off XML from www.w3schools.com and continue with www.perfectxml.com. You have great XML schema slides from www.xfront.com - do not miss them. As far as books you may be fine with (my 1st choice) Essential XML by Skonnard (short and sweet). Lots of people feel better with Professional XML 2/e from Wrox.
XML specifications remain the ultimate reference but it is a little hard reading.
Good Luck and best wishes.

[Madhav Lakkapragada]

not much participation....
Truth be said, I should say I am guilty and ashamed
of this. Haven't been around lately...
I don't know what it is with me and XML, I postponed
my exam again....just can't get the motivation going.
- madhav

[Marcelo Sousa Ancelmo]

Me too, Madhav, me too

[v giri]

Hi Madhav/Marcelo
I can understand the strange feelings while studying XML. There is a nagging feeling it is hi-tech HTML which puts off serious programmers. XSLT is a very unusual language - all variables with immutable values. XML is fast growing subject and anybody with strong programming background should not find it difficult.
Put it simply, XML is DIFFERENT - by no means as DIFFICULT as Java or any OO language.
Come on Guys, I am sure you can do it - your credentials are so impressive.
Best wishes

[lusha tak]

Thankyou V. giri for ur valuable suggestions.....
I am J2EE professional....although there is a lot of XML hype in the Indian Market.....and it is a skill that everybody is expected to know....or atleast include in one's CV..but the couple of interviews that i faced in last few months...no body really asks you about it....probably interviewers themselves does not know much about it ....and the level of knowledge that anybody seem to possess can be gained by reading a couple of articles on this technology.....there is no real development work happening on this technology....most of the people who boast they using xml in their projects ...are not using it more than as configuration files ....probably to please the clients
i am confused whether a certification is worth the effort??
Advise appreciated!!
Lusha

[v giri]

Lusha
Is certification worth the effort ? Start such a topic and you can find lots of people participating the discussion. Nobody takes middle ground here - only extreme views.
Whether by design or by destiny we are in IT - so we all have to be learning all the time. If you are in development track (or even design / database or administration) XML is valuable. We may be looking for a job in future or suddenly our own companies would embark on an application to match the competition. Let's face it - how many companies have an IT roadmap for more than one year which they can stick to ? Competition and economy (and head office ?) often drive them.
XML is all about inter-operability - it is forcing Sun and Microsoft to work together. As we keep learning new things - books, articles - we should probably pause and verify if we learnt anything - or just browsed and forgot. Here is where the certification helps. Even if we are not immediately benefitting it gives motivation and confidence to learn new technology. We are lot less scared when employer demands us to adapt. THAT matters.
Just my thoughts. Sorry if I have bored you.
Best wishes

[dinesh pande]

I am surprised by the total number of posts in regarding this certification.
Not too sure if the problem is with the complexity of the exam. I believe every one knows XML, and uses it in some form or the other.
Then, where could the problem be. I guess it is to do with the value of XML Certification. If it had a lot of value and is being asked for , then I would see a ton of ppl participating in it.
I agree that XML is the future and the knowledge is anyday an advantage. Still not able to figure out why XML Certification is not seen of any value. Could this be becoz XML is considered too simple that a special certification is not required to prove u have knowledge of it ???
Just wild guesses, could be wrong though..
Thanks
Dinesh
SCJP,SCJD,SCWCD,SECA(to-be),IBM484,IBM486,BEA Specialist-Server

[Andy Smith]

Hi Guys..
I m also a XML Cert Aspirant, like most of u ..
And i must admit that i m thinking abt it from from past 2 yrs...
And well i thing i was only thinking without preparing for the exams..
The problem is the motivation level, lets motivate each other this time..
and participate in the forum with lots n lots of enthu... just to finish up this exam..
So all guys out there wat do u say ...
do u agree with me?? or i m just wasting urs n mine time??
I need ur responses ...
thx & Gud luck
A XML Aspirant

[Juan Rolando Prieur-Reza]

Two Additional resources that I found useful:
XSL-List info and archive: http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list
and
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/xml-sig