Comments on: On receiving an honorary doctorate in computer science from the Open University

By: Joe Steinbok

Joe Steinbok — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 14:39:00 +0000

Congratulations Cory, well done.

Joe Steinbok

By: bumblebeeeeeee

bumblebeeeeeee — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 10:41:00 +0000

apologies Cory, very nice shoes.

By: Freddie Freelance

Freddie Freelance — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 21:31:00 +0000

This omission proves these pictures are obviously poorly shopped fakes.

By: yish

yish — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 23:18:00 +0000

Congratulations! Well deserved! So we’re colleagues and I didn’t know? Makes me like my job a little more.. What were you senior lecturing? Are is that in past tense or present?

By: Mike R

Mike R — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 17:39:00 +0000

congrats.

By: Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 09:25:00 +0000

They’re not sandals, they’re leather shoes. See full-size image here:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7175761031_d4780f583a_o.jpg

By: AviSolomon

AviSolomon — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 07:39:00 +0000

Congrats Dr. Cory!
I have fond Black & White childhood memories of a wonderful Open University TV series on maths and physics that was broadcast in Bombay in the 80s, kind of an early day Khan Academy:)

By: Tim Pozar

Tim Pozar — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 01:40:00 +0000

Congratulations! That be a pretty big grin on your face. :-)

By: Jardine

Jardine — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 23:50:00 +0000

4-year secondary school? Wouldn’t it have been 5-year in Ontario at that point?

By: Pres

Pres — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 22:20:00 +0000

Congrats! :-)

By: bumblebeeeeeee

bumblebeeeeeee — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 20:55:00 +0000

wrong place wrong time. [apologies Cory, very nice shoes.]

By: KimJong_un

KimJong_un — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 20:36:00 +0000

Where else to put them?

By: phead

phead — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 20:35:00 +0000

Just a shame that the OU decided to increase course costs by over 300%, okay still a lot less than traditional uni’s, but I think they are likely to exclude many who were previous attracted to their model.

By: Maurice

Maurice — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:28:00 +0000

Is that over by Emperor Norton University?

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:03:00 +0000

He might at least have held the robes out as if he were about to take off.

By: Gary61

Gary61 — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 16:44:00 +0000

Congrats to one of my favorite Happy Mutants – I am sure you will bring both Honour and Honor to the University and to yourself.
Bravo!

By: Aaron Gilliland

Aaron Gilliland — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:39:00 +0000

My God, Hugh Laurie does a pretty good Cory impression in this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2un9rO2ZF4g

By: bumblebeeeeeee

bumblebeeeeeee — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:38:00 +0000

sandals on feet??

By: Jeff Haynes

Jeff Haynes — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:50:00 +0000

Thanks for changing the spelling Doctor D! You and the OU are fine institutions in this fine country. Even if the weather is shyte!

By: Charlie B

Charlie B — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:46:00 +0000

You’ve spelt humorous with two Us, there, Poncey.

I personally always get spelt confused with quinoa, anyway.

By: Nathan Hornby

Nathan Hornby — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:46:00 +0000

Haha, that’s great.

It’s Doctor’s all the way down. Docception?

By: Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:34:00 +0000

Thanks for that — just signed the petition.

By: Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:32:00 +0000

My parents are already Doctor and Doctor Doctorow, which my dad (a mathematician) pronounces Doctor Squared Oh Squared.

By: Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:32:00 +0000

Right you are. I sometimes get tripped up when I code-switch from Canadian to UK to US.

By: lysdexia

lysdexia — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Did it hurt when they injected the RNA? Are you certified to pilot a ramscoop now?

By: Rhyme79

Rhyme79 — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 13:49:00 +0000

Excellent congratulations of the utmost kind! Right now I’m supposed to be revising for my healthcare exam at the end of the week, but I’m doing this instead. Procrastination is the devil I tell you!As a current OU student I greatly appreciate the ability to be able to study at home whilst also receiving top notch support from my tutor and learning support staff. The OU provides opportunities for those like myself who are unable to get out and about and to a brick uni. Without this organisation, I would find it very,very difficult to gain a degree level formal qualification.The OU (OPEN University), sadly may not remain quite so open for much longer, especially for new under graduates. Having the opportunity to educate oneself to degree level and beyond of course should not be limited to only those who have greater access to financial resources. Society benefits in many ways from an educated population, so limiting those who have access to it is a shot in the foot.Feel free to sign the petition against the OU cuts at the HMGovernment website … http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/22316 Thanks.

By: Ponce_de_Leon

Ponce_de_Leon — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 13:25:00 +0000

If you’re going to be pedantic, please be correct. In British English honorary is always spelt without the u, as is humorous, despite honour and humour both being spelt with the u.

For example, the Open University grants honorary degrees: http://www8.open.ac.uk/students/ceremonies/honorary-degrees

By: Iron Curtain

Iron Curtain — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 13:15:00 +0000

Are you sure the spelling is “honourary”? I thought the spelling was “honorary”, even in the Queen’s English, because the “-ary” suffix is of latin origin.

See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differences_between_British_and_American_spellings#-our.2C_-or

In derivatives and inflected forms of the -our/or words, British usage depends on the nature of the suffix used. The u is kept before English suffixes that are freely attachable to English words (for example in neighbourhood, humourless and savoury) and suffixes of Greek or Latin origin that have been naturalised (for example in favourite, honourable and behaviourism). However, before Latin suffixes that are not freely attachable to English words, the u:

may be dropped, for example in honorary, honorific, honorist, vigorous, humorous, laborious and invigorate;may be either dropped or kept, for example in colo(u)ration and colo(u)rise); ormay be kept, for example in colourist.[5]

In American usage, derivatives and inflected forms are built by simply adding the suffix in all cases (for example, favorite, savory etc.) since the u is absent to begin with.

By: That_Anonymous_Coward

That_Anonymous_Coward — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 12:59:00 +0000

Is it just me or is anyone else curious how this will show up in xkcd?

By: Nathan Hornby

Nathan Hornby — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 12:52:00 +0000

Oh, that’s a shame.

I’m gonna stick with it anyway, ‘Doctor Doctorow’ has too much of a ring to it to not be used; official or not.