It's probably either do that or wait and find someone else has registered it
Purchasing a domain name conferring to a 'Dr' title when one has not even obtained such title in the first place is sending out the wrong signal.
I'm not convinced.
What I'd worry about is if I saw NO improvement after 4-5 years. ;-)
Generally there are 3+ years between writing your Master's Thesis and your PhD, during which you spend a lot of time writing and editing and would hopefully get significantly better at doing so. I don't think there is any inconsistency in seeing an improvement in ability over that long span. It would be like looking at someone's code from the beginning of their career, comparing it to something they just wrote, and citing the inferior quality of their earlier work as a clear sign that someone else helped them with their most recent stuff.
> - I found out that they registered a domain name Dr <Last Name> back even before they started. Who the heck does that?
Why is this weird? Presumably if you're entering a doctoral program, you plan on finishing it (whether or not that happens). Whats wrong with getting a domain if you think you'll need it in the future?
- If the only projects they produced have been for academia or they have had a history of starting AND not finishing multiple side/non-academia projects
- Little to no involvement in group work or publications (which makes me think - what have you been doing during the 4-5 years?)
- Another item I have noticed was that an applicant's PhD thesis was very well written yet when I read the Masters thesis and any other written documentation produced, the grammar is less than average, even poor! Which makes me think of potential 'help' involved that polished their PhD. So look for inconsistencies.
- I found out that they registered a domain name Dr <Last Name> back even before they started. Who the heck does that?
Plus various other issues in conflict with the newly minted PhDs who have just entered industry and not being given things on a silver platter ($$$ and respect due to title). Give them a year or two in industry and see how they shape up.
Disclaimer: Hired a newly minted PhD, observations based on one person so I don't claim this is based on all. I would consider newly minted PhDs/PhDs but after the same rigorous checks I would make with all the other candidates.