Double Standard--Question for Will, et. al. from MAD

[_antishock8]

I should clarify one point lest I give the wrong impression. While I find much of Will's stuff not to my taste and crasser then I'd like compared to many posters here he is remarkably tame. *cough* Merc Porter Infy Shockie *cough*

I do apologize for bringing your, the talking carcass', and Will's level of discourse down to my level.. I'll try to refrain in the future.

Fixed.

Double fixed. Ha.

[_asbestosman]

You folks who are referring to Dr. Peterson as "Mr. Peterson" simply to denigrate his title need to knock it off.

The man earned a PhD. He deserves the title of "Dr."

I suppose I'm rather sensitive about this point because I'm working on my doctorate at the moment, and it is HARD WORK. The title is duly earned.

OK, rant off. LOL

It's interesting though to note that other PhD posters generally aren't called Dr. (Tarski holds 2 PhDs). For me I guess it's more of adressing someone as they wish to be adressed--at least if I wish to be polite.

[_asbestosman]

Double fixed. Ha.

Triple fixed. Mwahahaha.

[_silentkid]

I disagree. In 99.99% of his message board activities, Senor Peterson is clearly speaking as a man, and not as a professor of Islamic studies.

Exactly. And I want everyone to refer to me as Master. I don't have my PhD yet, but I'm working on it...in the field of Seagalogy.

[Guest]

I want to be referred to as Emperor Nehor the Questionable, son of King Otto the Deranged, Conqueror of Freedonia, descendant of William the Incontinent, Past Grand Master of the Order of Happy Fun Ball, Oracle to the Blind Warrior Nuns of Moldavia, Vassal to Emperor Dorian the Gray, Possessor of a one lap swim training certification, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Saint Tutu, Reincarnation of Gregor Mendel, and member of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Birds.

Please refer to me in this manner in all future postings. Thank you.

[_Bond...James Bond]

I disagree. In 99.99% of his message board activities, Senor Peterson is clearly speaking as a man, and not as a professor of Islamic studies.

Exactly. And I want everyone to refer to me as Master. I don't have my PhD yet, but I'm working on it...in the field of Seagalogy.

I want to be referred to as Associate Bond. It's not only the level of degree I currently hold [cross fingers on next year when I become Bachelor Bond both in college level and relationshipal status] but it's also the title I hold at my job. So double Hah!


also...Tarski has two Ph.Ds? WTF? Did he steal one? Sometimes I hate smart people for making not smart people feel doubly not smart.

[_Daniel Peterson]

Tarski holds 2 PhDs

Does he? Unless I'm mistaken, I was aware of a doctorate in mathematics from UCLA. I'd be interested to know what the other is in, if there is another.

While I don't think that a doctorate necessarily demonstrates genius, nor that lack of one discredits a person, I think earning a doctorate represents more than mere persistence. Most people don't attend college. Of those who do, many don't graduate. Of those who graduate, most don't or can't get into graduate school. Many of those who get into graduate school wash out. So earning a doctorate is not to be sneezed at, and earning two would be a nice achievement -- though, in some fields (e.g., of the M.D./Ph.D. variety), it's becaming somewhat less rare.

Incidentally, I have not requested that I be referred to as "Dr. Peterson." I'm sure that at least one or two of those calling me "Mr. Peterson" are doing it in order to avoid showing me any more respect than minimal civility absolute requires of them, but it doesn't really bother me. Heck, if the juvenile name-calling from a few of the lesser posters here leaves me unfazed, which it does, calling me "Mr." is scarcely likely to offend me.

[Analytics]

Tarski holds 2 PhDs

Does he? Unless I'm mistaken, I was aware of a doctorate in mathematics from UCLA. I'd be interested to know what the other is in, if there is another.

I believe the second one is in physics (mathematical physics / relativity or something like that).

While I don't think that a doctorate necessarily demonstrates genius, nor that lack of one discredits a person, I think earning a doctorate represents more than mere persistence. Most people don't attend college. Of those who do, many don't graduate. Of those who graduate, most don't or can't get into graduate school. Many of those who get into graduate school wash out. So earning a doctorate is not to be sneezed at, and earning two would be a nice achievement -- though, in some fields (e.g., of the M.D./Ph.D. variety), it's becaming somewhat less rare.

But why do they drop out or not attend in the first place? I was accepted into BYU's graduate program for Computer Engineering, but then a got a nice job offer that would pay me what I figured I'd be worth with a Master's degree. I decided that earning money sooner to help raise a family was more important and anyhow I didn't see any great contributions I'd make to the field as an academic (it's not like I'm Cal-Tech / MIT material). It turns out that my home teacher went to BYU, but dropped out when his wife fell ill and instead became a carpenter (did contracting work, but joined a union when the eceonmy slowed).

So in my case it is the realization that I wasn't a genius combined with the focus on money above that of education.

Sometimes I hate smart people for making not smart people feel doubly not smart.

That's why I'm a smartaleck. It almost makes up for it.

[_The Dude]

So earning a doctorate is not to be sneezed at, and earning two would be a nice achievement -- though, in some fields (e.g., of the M.D./Ph.D. variety), it's becaming somewhat less rare.

I would say the M.D./Ph.D. is one and a half doctorates. Seriously, their Ph.D. is not the same as yours and mine -- it's more like a 2-3 year break from medical school than anything else, plus they get $$$ for all of this instead of taking on massive debt like a regular M.D. I have a colleague whose wife has just finished her Ph.D. thesis and is now going back for the clinical part of her M.D., and his very informed opinion is that these programs should be phased out.

[_William Schryver]

Tarski holds 2 PhDs

Does he? Unless I'm mistaken, I was aware of a doctorate in mathematics from UCLA. I'd be interested to know what the other is in, if there is another.

I believe the second one is in physics (mathematical physics / relativity or something like that).

While I don't think that a doctorate necessarily demonstrates genius, nor that lack of one discredits a person, I think earning a doctorate represents more than mere persistence. Most people don't attend college. Of those who do, many don't graduate. Of those who graduate, most don't or can't get into graduate school. Many of those who get into graduate school wash out. So earning a doctorate is not to be sneezed at, and earning two would be a nice achievement -- though, in some fields (e.g., of the M.D./Ph.D. variety), it's becaming somewhat less rare.

But why do they drop out or not attend in the first place? I was accepted into BYU's graduate program for Computer Engineering, but then a got a nice job offer that would pay me what I figured I'd be worth with a Master's degree. I decided that earning money sooner to help raise a family was more important and anyhow I didn't see any great contributions I'd make to the field as an academic (it's not like I'm Cal-Tech / MIT material). It turns out that my home teacher went to BYU, but dropped out when his wife fell ill and instead became a carpenter (did contracting work, but joined a union when the eceonmy slowed).

So in my case it is the realization that I wasn't a genius combined with the focus on money above that of education.

I can relate somewhat. Flash back to the early eighties, I was a Middle East Studies major (Hebrew emphasis) at the University of Utah. I loved it. Was recognized as Student of the Year. Then I got myself a job assisting a computer programmer at a credit union. One thing led to another and it became a career in software development. Companies were paying 50 grand for good programmers in 1985, and they couldn't care less how or where you learned how to do it. So I dropped out (I told myself it was "temporary" at the time) but, like the man in the Robert Frost poem, "I doubted if I should ever come back."

And now I'm telling this with a sigh -- ages and ages hence ...

I will say that I have a certain respect for those who have the "PhD" after their names -- at least from the standpoint that they have manifest the drive and persistence to complete a goal. That said, I'm pretty realistic about what it really means. I've seen too many hot shot kids with programming degrees (Masters) who couldn't program their way out of a phone booth. And I've conversed with PhDs from various IT backgrounds who don't know crap from shinola when it comes to actually programming a computer. Not only that, but I've met farmers who know more about how life really works than any professor at any university in the world. So, you never can tell. A person who dedicates himself to focused self-education over the course of a lifetime is probably just as "educated" (if not more so) as the average professor at a major university.