We want CCIE Medallions, not Plaques!!!

Listen up guys and I am talking to the guys at Cisco’s CCIE Program directly. Most people find me pretty quickly and so I expect that we are all going to be asking this question soon enough. What are you going to do about the CCIE Medallions? Back in the day the CCIE Medallion was an item of Pride for any and all CCIE’s. It was the one trophy from the battle with the beast that really meant something to a CCIE. It looked like a CCIE won an Olympic sport or something and to be fair with as much time and effort as we put forth to attain the CCIE as CCIE Candidates, it really really MATTERS TO US!!! We pay $1400.00 a shot for the Lab exam, $315.00 for the Written exam, we have to study immeasurable hours. CCNA Classes might cost $4000-5000.00 or more. CCNP Classes might cost $10,000.00 – $15,000.00 or more Most CCIE’s might build a lab at a cost of over $10,000.00 on avaerage. Most CCIE’s might buy Cisco Press Books totaling over a few thousand dollars. Most CCIE’s might go to at least 1-2 Bootcamps for about another $10-12,000.00 or so. Most CCIE’s will spend in excess of about 500 hard full lab hours working towards the CCIE “AFTER” they have done some or all of the above!!!! ARE YOU LISTENING??? We are spending money in Cisco Products, Cisco Authorized Training Centers, Cisco Authorized Testing Centers, and with Cisco and each of us is spending considerable effort in terms of our own lives and time away from our dearly beloved friends and family and spending a lot of money (the GREEN Stuff $$$) to do pursue this certification. Now myself, I’ve spent all of the above and more and I’ve been to the lab 4 times so far. I really want my CARROT!!! That medallion is the carrot. I know there is no CCIE Bomber jackets any more… Sad loss too I might add. I guess we can still buy one in the CCIE store and get our number embedded on it. But WE AS CLASS not only WANT, but DEMAND that the CCIE Medallion be the CARROT as a symbol of our INVESTMENT and ultimate ACCOMPLISHMENT in our careers as a SYMBOL of TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE!!! Is there any way I can be more clear, more enthusiastic, and more sincere in my request? Please help all of us CCIE Candiates from around the world. I’m going to start petitioning this request in forums, email, lists, and by every means I can until this URGENT REQUEST is heard and acknowledged by Cisco. We really want this. The last time I spoke with Howard in RTP he commented on how “Profitable” the CCIE Lab had become over the years. We are not asking for Cisco to lose money in this endeavor, we are asking that Cisco acknowledge that WE, THE CCIE CANDIDATES, CURRENT CCIE’s, and FUTURE CCIE’s are the clerics in the “Church of Cisco” and we are carrying the Cisco Torch. We are at least a part of what every customer buys when they buy a piece of Cisco gear, a Smartnet Contract, a VoIP or Security Solution etc. That is what we are… If you fail us today and do not listen to us and a simple, very humble request is ignored. Maybe one day, we all might decide to take our money, our time, and all of our technical skills and the influence we have and find another player in the game… Other vendors: Are you listening? Currently there are over 15,000 Active CCIe’s. There are at least as many who are CCIE Candidates and there are 10 times as many CCNP’s. We are a lot of why people Cisco is popular. The certs are tough and the rewards to those who meet the challenge ought to be equally worthwhile. We are a very important part of Cisco’s Marketing and Sales Machine. We are. People buy and use Cisco Equipment, because we can and will support it. Deny us if you will Cisco, but what comes around surely goes around. It’s a tough economy some years. We invested a lot. Let us have the carrot we like. WE WANT THE CCIE MEDALLION!!! Please if you agree, take a moment and say so. If you are content with the status quo that’s fine too. But I think most of us are willing to burn ROME to get that Medallion as a token of our hard-earned sacrafices and very expensive training regimen that we are all doing to get to the end of the line. If someone from the Cisco Program thinks this wrong – You are very welcome to tell us why. Thanks guys. We are here and we are listening. Sincerely, Darby Weaver July 2nd 2008