Good point, Elizabeth, but I would like to take it further than that. The primary value of any certification to the holder is to validate years of experience and knowledge in the workplace. From an employer's perspective, however, it is the perceived value of a given certification and what it brings to a particular company in helping meet the business objectives of that company, hence the financial component of the certification. Braindumps detract from this perceived value. Several well-known certs have suffered due to the "braindump" mentality, the MCSE springing to mind immediately. The people who have labored, studied and strived for the right to the PMP certification are no more likely to participate in braindumping than they would participate in other illicit actions.
I believe that the vast majority of PMPs will not participate in braindumps because it is wrong, ultimately deteriorates the value of the certification and not because they are afraid of being stripped of their certification. That is a tool that PMI reserves to punish the transgressor, but realistically, the web is so fluid that most braindump sites will thrive anyway. Only if the people who have earned the right to wear the PMP lapel pin refuse to participate in this activity can it be stopped. Cisco certificants, at all levels, are among the most adamant about not participating in braindumps. A blatant request such as the one above will meet with instant flames on any Cisco certification group. These folks understand the value of a strong certification and protect it zealously.
As an adjunct instructor in the computer science department for a local community college, I tell my students to "Learn it and you will Earn it" in reference both to degree and certification tracks. To me, using braindumps to circumvent the requirements and true knowledge that only experience can bring is equivalent to cheating on exams. It is wrong and no one should support the lazy ones out there who are willing to cheat and are seeking PMP certification, or any other certification for that matter, merely for financial gain. So my advice for jflg and other braindumpers is to hit the books, be a project manager, meet the requirements to earn the PMP, and quit looking for the easy way out. If you disagree with my humble opinion or if there are those among the current PMPs who think differently, feel free to let me know.
Thanks for letting me vent,
Joe Joseph B. Baugh, PMP, CISSP, CBM, CCAI, CCNP, CCDP, CCSE, CUE
Network Services Manager, Sierra Southwest Cooperative
"The road goes on forever and the party never ends." -- Joe Ely: Love And Danger, 1993