X-Message-Number: 10184
Date: Wed, 05 Aug 1998 10:28:56 -0700
From: Paul Wakfer <>
Subject: Clarification of Titles Please

Those who have earned titles to be added to their names certainly have
the *right* to use them. However, because such titles often have the
effect of bestowing credibility upon the words or works of the title
holder beyond their objective value, I personally do not like the
practice. For example, having once held the rank of Assistant Professor
at the University of Toronto, I have the right to call myself Professor
Wakfer (my mail from the University of Toronto Alumni Association comes
addressed that way). However, I have newer done this and have always
asked others to not name me in that manner except very occasionally
within some promotional literature. When people apply titles to the
names of those who have not earned them this dislike becomes annoyance,
when misapplied titles are not corrected by the receiver this dislike
becomes disdain, and upon those rare occasions when someone uses a title
to which s/he has no right it becomes contempt.

For several months now I have had a copy of the CV of Yuri Pichugin in
which Yuri states:

	In 1970 I graduated from High School at Tomsk.
	In 1976 I graduated the Tomsk State University
	(Chemical Faculty, Department of Organic Chemistry).

	Present Status: I have a Academic Degree of Candidate
	of Biological Science (Speciality: Cryobiology)

It is my understanding that such a degree is the equivalent of a US
master's degree (and this is reasonable from the length of time taken to
get it shown above).

Yuri Pichugin, quite honestly, never refers to himself with the title
"Dr" and I now ask Robert Ettinger to please refrain from doing so or
provide us with evidence about why Pichugin should be named in this
manner.

Finally, for the record, what university degrees does Robert Ettinger
hold and what titles does he have the right to use?

-- Paul --

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