Thanks Ethan Banks for sharing your "Touch of Grey"

(Lyrics by Jerry Garcia)
Must be getting early, clocks are running late.
Paint my love a morning sky, it's all cold.
Dawn is breaking everywhere, light a candle, curse the glare
Draw the curtains I don't care, but it's all right
I will get by, I will get by, I will get by, I will survive.

Every Silver lining has a dark cloud according to Jerry Garcia in this song. For Ethan Banks that silver lining was passing his CCIE lab. The dark cloud came by way of a blogger who is very passionate about certifications and how they are achieved. Because Ethan Banks (CCIE # 20,655) spent his time sharing his experience through his blog he became an easy target for criticism.

A few weeks ago Ethan was assailed as a cheater by Robert Williams, CEO of
CertGuard, for the use of Test King and Braindumps as study tools. Braindumps,
as I understand them, are simply the documented recollection of individuals
who have taken an exam. These are available on the internet and seem to be widely
used. I don't think Braindumps have all that much value as a tool for cheating
as they provide information about the areas to study. The CCIE lab is not passed
by memorization but on experience and knowledge. So when Mr. Williams made his
accusation, many of the CCIE bloggers and readers of the blogs were inflamed.

The internet is such a wide-reaching and powerful medium that bloggers often
do not realize its real strength. When we convey our passions in a public forum
there will be those who disagree and those who may even be hurt by our strong
opinions. Our words can also come back to haunt us.

Mr Williams words were considered a harsh attack on a hard working and very
bright star in the CCIE blogging community. When I was growing up I was taught
that calling someone a cheater was a very harsh criticism. Mr. William's words
are still echoing throughout the internet and it is still a topic of conversation
here at Networkers.

The impact that most worries the people at CertGuard is that Mr. Williams'
words will impact their business. I want to state clearly that CertGuard provides
products and services much needed in the IT industry for creating a standard
for certification, and they are not villains.

Ethan Banks did not take the easy road to CCIE certification. He blogged about
his experience and he shared his feelings about his months focused on achieving
his CCIE. He passed, and he shared his journey on his blog

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