Thanks for your suggestion H - we agree Sheffield Forum is a very good site, but we like to try and be original. SF uses an off-the-shelf forum package, meaning we wouldn't be able to include nice pictures like the pretty giraffe to your left!

We're still here and we're still moderating. Fortunately as the forum has grown more and more replies to people's queries about getting started in postgraduate education are answered by regulars such as yourself.

If there's any messages that involve you that you'd like us to moderate then let us know - although as we've said in previous threads it is usually the person who does the insulting that looks bad rather than the target of their abuse.

We try to be consistent in removing threads, but we try to do so without stifling debate. If you simply insult somebody your message will be removed. There are some controversial views on this forum, some of which could be deemed offensive. We have removed a number of messages from Johannstein in the last couple of days. They do not appear in the 'removed threads' section because they were replies not individual threads. When somebody says something along the lines of 'my PhD's better than your PhD' it may be insulting, but who looks more stupid to other readers? Consequently we sometimes leave such messages on.

This forum is for grown up intelligent people, mostly to help each other through with advice and discussions on the ups and downs of postgraduate life. As Mia suggests, if you suspect somebody is using this forum to be deliberately controversial or to attract attention to themselves then ignore them. We will block people from the site if they continually break the rules, but we do believe in giving people a second chance.

Johannstein - we would have removed your message had bazzab not already taken the time to reply. If you have an opinion then please express it in friendlier tones.
Jen - your comments have been edited for the same reasons.

Some people get their PhD's from fully accredited, internationally recognised universities, others buy them of the internet and some we're not so sure about.

Just to kick off the list, how about 'You are what you eat' clinical nutritionist Dr Gillian McKeith, whose PhD comes from the American Holistic College of Nutrition (now Clayton College of Natural Health). You can read more about Channel 4's favourite health guru in a number of articles in The Guardian's 'Bad Science' column.

Another favourite is Dr Ian Paisley whose Honorary doctorate came from the then unaccredited Bob Jones University in South Carolina, USA. See his entry in Wikipedia.

If you can add to the list please do, but don't forget a web link to back up your claim.

The PostGrad Forum team could runs a donkey sanctuary in their spare time and eat nothing but tarka dahl, three bean salad and the occasional Linda McCartney sausage. We are whoever you want us to be.

We wish we could send you all a Christmas card and PostGrad Forum mug, but we haven't got your addresses and we don't have any mugs and they'd probably break anyway.

Thanks for making the forum a success in it's first few months - don't forget to tell your friends.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE & ALL

Google adwords is a new addition to the site. It works by analysing the text on page and then decides which ads are most relevant to the audience. Unfortunately it seems to keep choosing 'life experience degrees'. We can block adverts for particular domains, but it takes time to go through them and Googles responce is not instantainious.

In the mean time we hope that the people using PostgradForum will know the difference between a legitimate course and a made up qualification.

If your PhD is funded by a UK research council you will only have to pay back any money paid to you in advance. So if you're paid three months worth of maintenance grant in October and you give up after two months you'll have to pay back 1 months worth of money.

There is an article on FindAPhD on PhD Study in the Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. The better the department, the more competition there will be and consequently a higher standard will be required. However qualifications are not the only consideration and the strength of your research proposal will have considerable weight.

Holster, we would be only too happy to put up a picture. Just send one in to the usual address.

Apologies - we forgot where we are for a second there. We blame this warm Autumn we've been having. Anyhow, it's all fixed now. Sheffield is safely back in Yorkshire (complete with yorkshire pudding picture):

http://www.business.findaphd.com/programmes/index.asp" target = "_blank">http://www.business.findaphd.com/programmes/index.asp

Sadly this one-off limited edition went missing a couple of months ago

Spread the word Beshoy - There's 8 designs to collect - here's the latest one to get you started

We're just trying to find out how quick off your feet you all are - and if our posters ever get anywhere where people can see them.