Polly Flinders,
I knew a woman, sorry woperson, sorry woperdaughter, who was determined to break the shackles of patriarchal tradition in respect of carrying her father’s name by changing her surname to that of her mother’s.
When she told her feminist friends they applauded her, until they found out what her mother’s surname was.
“Patrice; patriarchy!”
They cleverly suggested Matrice and so it now is.
True story; she told it to me hermself.

Shadow Minister is correct. A PhD is a training exercise, wherein one is meant to write a substantial and original thesis, often with some pretty heavy stats. Successful completion shows the person can work on diffcult topics in isolation and is able to critique and meld high-level literature. A PhD is typically a second research degree.

PhD holders have undergrad. and usually other post-grad. degrees too. So, they do know other stuff too.

In days-gone-by, clerks, who could fluently take short-hand were often hired into administrative jobs, not for the short-hand, but because learning stort-hand demonstrated staying power. PhD holders are a bit like that, in academia and the professions,

I'm not too sure how your anecdote fits the topic, HermanYutec, but it's an interesting tale. Perhaps your friend's dad is that car mechanic up the road. It's a very unusual name.

When we accept or even encourage less than rigorous standards in qualifications, important skills that one would expect in a graduate may not exist, to the detriment of all concerned. For instance, a graduate of journalism would understand media law and the ethics of respecting the privacy of those herm reports on. It's fine, of course, if identifiable people don't mind herm's real names being used, but there is a valid reason for noms de plume in forums.

Ah, perhaps it was that useful word 'herm' that prompted your post. You used it well. Etymologically, grammatically and politically correct!

Polly many folk try to plaguarise the work of others.

No one in their right mind would respond freely to the request (of course if the applicant were in the business of paying, that sort of corruption is untenable and I trust the examining authority would have the wit to recognise the difference in "writing style" to that of the person askig for help.

to Foxy's definition of a PHD and others.. loved em

here is one for MBA

"Master of Bugger All"