Seriously, though ... The WSJ probably has a style guide which tries to avoid honorifics and degree references. It is hard to track and verify, and is inconsistently used among recipients.
BTW, a problem which I think requires a solution is a degree verification marketplace -- not just for employers and reporters to check someone's credentials, but also for people who may need to get some sort of confirmation on their own for whatever purpose. My wife had to do that for a vocational school which wanted to make sure an earlier degree from a foreign college was legit, It involved mailing or faxing a copy of her transcript to some service which sends back a letter saying it's real -- and costs $75. Inefficient, labor-intensive prone to abuse, and way too expensive -- prime candidate for a software solution, IMHO.
Seriously, though ... The WSJ probably has a style guide which tries to avoid honorifics and degree references. It is hard to track and verify, and is inconsistently used among recipients.
BTW, a problem which I think requires a solution is a degree verification marketplace -- not just for employers and reporters to check someone's credentials, but also for people who may need to get some sort of confirmation on their own for whatever purpose. My wife had to do that for a vocational school which wanted to make sure an earlier degree from a foreign college was legit, It involved mailing or faxing a copy of her transcript to some service which sends back a letter saying it's real -- and costs $75. Inefficient, labor-intensive prone to abuse, and way too expensive -- prime candidate for a software solution, IMHO.