If only MS would recognize it as a career path and add a .NET CF exam to the MCAD/MCSD .NET syllabus...

Oh no! If academic IT notices it they'll find a way to suck all the fun out of it...

Bah! Who need a test? I was an MCSD once upon a time and realized after I got into the industry that the certs really don't mean squat. I've met brilliant programmers without certification, as well as complete morons who were able to pass the tests (I'm somewhere in between). I've never used a cert as a criteria for ever hiring anyone, and being certified never produced anything meaningful to my career.

The only value I see in the certification process is that people from other industries can take courses (that teach the test, not actual development skills) and get a flavor for the programming world. Basically it provides the ability to end-run around a 4-year degree to being able to write code (I didn't say good code).

I know a few people that it provided the transition for, but once they got into the IT industry, again it had no bearing on anything for them.