81–90 of 128 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
No, but it's a "degree", and she has that university covered too, degree-wise, which is what he means.
But the quote explicitly says "honorary degree". She doesn't have an honorary degree from Cornell.
Honestly, it never bothered me at all. It's one thing if you're saying "here, take this honorary degree and go work in a new profession"...but that's not what happens. Honorary degrees are given in an area where the person has already proven themselves successful...so it's really nothing at all like an "honorary electricians license".
I'm sure most colleges would love it if people decided to take the "easy route" and go, be extremely successful in a field, give a bunch of money to the university and get an honorary degree at some point.
Feynman, in this particular instance, is showboating more than anybody who's ever been honored. I've got an undergraduate degree and a masters degree. I worked hard for them. I've worked a hell of a lot harder to be successful in my field and if I get to a point where I've been so successful that I can dole out hundreds of thousands of dollars back to the school that they choose to honor me with another degree I'll appreciate that they thought I was worth recognizing...
But the amount of work involved to "get a degree" or even two degrees is TRIVIAL compared to the amount of work involved in actually being successful. Lots of people have degrees. Lots of people are not overly successful in their careers.
To that end, Feynman is showboating.
On a personal note, the president of my alma mater happened to be leaving the year that I graduated. She gave herself an honorary doctorate!
Earlier quoted context omitted.
No, but it's a "degree", and she has that university covered too, degree-wise, which is what he means.
But the quote explicitly says "honorary degree". She doesn't have an honorary degree from Cornell.
We're not computers, and we can't fix syntax errors in natural language from context. Not that what he said wasn't clear enough itself.
It's cheaper to issue a worthless piece of paper than to pay cash to a celebrity to make a speech at a conference. I think it is a rather smart use of tuition funds. Paying people in esteem is a management 101.
By your logic, it would be an even smarter use of tuition funds not to turn those funds into tuition for the sake of a worthless piece of paper. I happen to agree, but that's a different conversation.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Stallman is a hugely influential person. He has contributed a great deal to the world of free software. And giving him an honorary degree is a great thing, demonstrating his many accomplishments. But it still really bugs me that he calls himself a PhD, and asks for the title "Dr." (And yes, I have a PhD, on which I worked for 11 years, at great cost to myself and my family. So feel free to take my comments with a gra…
I have a PhD (in mathematics) and am conflicted about the "Dr." title. I think it ought to be reserved for medical doctors, as there is a social good associated with knowing there is a medical doctor in the general vicinity. For non-MDs, it feels like insisting on the title is petty.
The real question is why are medics without any form of doctoral degree calling themselves 'dr'?
It's just a way to get some press and maybe some money as well. I doubt anyone would be fooled by the title. I went to Oxford, and the arts undergrads there can get an MA OXON 7 years after matriculation (arts courses are generally 3 years, and you don't do anything other than send in a form to get the Master's). I doubt anyone confuses it with the MEng that I got. Using the title is a poncey thing. The last time I r…
Similar to Cambridge, for most or all subjects, Oxford will award a BA after three years, not just what we might think of now as 'arts'. Depending on the subject and institution, you might only get the BA if you stop after three years rather than carrying on for an undergraduate masters e.g. Study Engineering Science at Oxford for 4 years and you get an MEng (assuming you pass the required standards). You will not get a BA. Had you stopped after three years (or somewhere before the end of the 4th year) you'd have got a BA and could apply for the MA 21 terms after you matriculated.
[1]Richard P. Feynman: Dear George, Yours is the first honorary degree that I have been offered, and I thank you for considering me for such an honor. However, I remember the work I did to get a real degree at Princeton and the guys on the same platform receiving honorary degrees without work—and felt an "honorary degree" was a debasement of the idea of a "degree which confirms certain work has been accomplished." It…
"I don't like honors" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEUcmKDaklY
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Stallman is a hugely influential person. He has contributed a great deal to the world of free software. And giving him an honorary degree is a great thing, demonstrating his many accomplishments. But it still really bugs me that he calls himself a PhD, and asks for the title "Dr." (And yes, I have a PhD, on which I worked for 11 years, at great cost to myself and my family. So feel free to take my comments with a gra…
Yeah, as a UVA grad I didn't realize they didn't give honorary degrees, but I think their approach of giving "medals" instead is the right one. Also, even if you are Richard Stallman or Maya Angelou, demanding to be called "Dr" due to an honorary degree is just lame.