Robvd36, I do not see IBM's announcement as a "[s]ad day for open source." I see it as an affirmation of open source.
IBM's intended purchase of Red Hat will be the largest acquisition of a software company in history. With this purchase, one of the biggest companies on the planet -- a company with a storied history in information technology, a company synonymous in the public mind with enterprise computing -- is making a huge, existential bet on open source and Red Hat. Any lingering debate about the suitability of open source for the enterprise has now been decisively and emphatically put to rest. That's a great day for open source, not a sad one.
IBM is hardly a newcomer to open source. It has played a role in the adoption, creation and protection of open source software for nearly two decades. In fact, the first Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) exam delivered outside a Red Hat office was delivered in IBM's Austin office back in 1999. IBM's commitment to open source was credible long before it offered up $34B for Red Hat.
So what about your pursuing Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA)? I think Red Hat's built a special certification program and many Red Hat Certified Professionals seem to agree. Your considering RHCA suggests that you might think so, too.
Is the value of being Red Hat Certified better served by people pulling back from their certification plans and waiting to see what unfolds, or by their making a renewed commitment to the program and pursuing the Red Hat certification goals they previously considered worthwhile?
There are no guarantees but I'm pretty sure the value of being Red Hat Certified will fare better with a growing community of supporters in the game than with a declining number on the sidelines waiting to see how things unfold.
[Disclosure: I manage the Red Hat certification program and team. These are my personal thoughts and do not represent Red Hat's company position or anyone's other than my own.]
