When Is A Stanford Degree Not A Stanford Degree?

from the when-you-lie-about-it dept

When you’re running a company getting a ton of publicity, it’s probably not the smartest thing to say that you have a computer science degree from Stanford when you don’t. It also looks bad after you’ve been discovered to say that it was simply a “clerical error” when that clerical error appeard on your website and in all the promotional materials the company sent out. You would also think that somewhere in the course of this “clerical error” being mentioned in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, Forbes, and Time you would stop to correct the misimpression. Then again, when you’re building a big internet company who has time for the little unimportant things like facts?


Rate this comment as insightful
Rate this comment as funny
You have rated this comment as insightful
You have rated this comment as funny
Flag this comment as abusive/trolling/spam
You have flagged this comment
The first word has already been claimed
The last word has already been claimed
Insightful Lightbulb icon Funny Laughing icon Abusive/trolling/spam Flag icon Insightful badge Lightbulb icon Funny badge Laughing icon Comments icon

Comments on “When Is A Stanford Degree Not A Stanford Degree?”

Subscribe: RSS Leave a comment
6 Comments
u2604ab says:

Not the first time

Robert X Cringley, a “best-selling author, PBS television personality and Silicon Valley pundit
” also attended Stanford but falsely claimed having completed a PhD.

Hmmm…. I wonder how many people do this and don’t eventually get caught? Stanford does let any student participate in the graduation ceremony as early and often as any student wants to– it wouldn’t be so hard to fool your family and friends, then, into thinking you’d graduated.

Duffman says:

Eerily familiar

I find this kind of familiar, as my university just discovered that a prof that was here for 2-1/2 years with no degree – not even a bachelor’s! Luckily I didn’t have any classes with her. Anyway, it really is getting to be these days that people don’t question the validity of a ‘big’ degree, whether it be a PhD (my case), or a degree from Stanford. Hopefully this isn’t a developing trend (not checking references, just accepting what people say), though I like to think I can take people for their word.

Add Your Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Have a Techdirt Account? Sign in now. Want one? Register here

Comment Options:

Make this the or (get credits or sign in to see balance) what's this?

What's this?

Techdirt community members with Techdirt Credits can spotlight a comment as either the "First Word" or "Last Word" on a particular comment thread. Credits can be purchased at the Techdirt Insider Shop »

Follow Techdirt

Techdirt Daily Newsletter

Techdirt Deals
Techdirt Insider Discord
The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...
Loading...