and in measured tones, too ... Mark this on your calendar, Erik. We agree on another point.

It's important, however, to note that the PhD or whatever, is wanted by the HR department so they can go on record as having done their due diligence. They'll send for verification from the registrar's office at the U of question and be done with it. Never mind that the personnel person doesn't know that LAN and Ethernet are essentially identical, and never mind that PAL and SPLD mean more or less the same thing. Never mind that he doesn't know that one who can code an 8032 can also code an 8051. The paperwork is necessary to get past the personnel department. They don't care whether the person is competent. They do care whether the paperwork is done, though.

These days, the university diploma merely indicates that the person was sufficiently responsible to get all the work handed in on time and make all the necessary appearances, particularly for examinations. Aside from that, it means little, except that the graduate put forth the necessary effort to have a reasonable reporting record and to get his/her work done on or near schedule. That's of considerable value nowadays, when young folks don't think they need to go to work except on payday, and, with direct deposit, not even then.

RE