(11-13-2012, 07:04 AM)bigfoot Wrote: Another Bear/Klempner specialty was linking up the words "diploma mill" and "illegal" on Wikipedia, when a person would google schools such as California Pacific University and other California State Approved universities, these defamatory words would often pop-up at the bottom of the page. Apparently, Bear and his band of "cyberslanderers" have been thwarted in their efforts to besmirch these schools further, as it now appears they have been "blocked" from posting these defamatory words on Wikipedia, as in days past. I can only imagine the problems this asshole caused... for so many people, by posting these libelous words on the internet...the man is a professional detractor...I use the word "man" loosely, when referring to Bear/Klempner...
Many people have had problems due to the changing views expressed by Bear and from his direct and indirect attacks on schools that he recommended and presented as good. Hell, he even attacked former students of schools that he, Bear, worked for.
Here is my opinion. Any person who would sell you a legal product and then turn around and attack you for buying it is crazy-ignorant, or, as you said, an asshole. Perhaps John is all of the above.
It's really a shame. He really did seem sincere when he went around preaching a revolution was coming in higher education. DL schools, according to Bear, were the wave of the future. A little school, state approved/licensed, would be just as good as some big state university. Now he either believed this or not. He told what he believed was the truth or was lying.
I now believe that he really didn't have a clue nor did he give a damn. It wasn't about being truthful. It was never more than being about what he could sell. People wanted to believe his pie in the sky and bought these degree by the thousands. Were they ever as good as he said? NO. Were they degree milled crap? NO. They had value and for some that was good enough. For others maybe not, but they were what he said was good enough and in my view they met the needs of many. At least until Bear and his handful of attack artists went after every person they could find and proceeded to out them. Bear outed his former customers, former students, and some of his former friends. Bear is your friend, as long as you are useful and needed. After that you can drop dead.
State Approved and State Licensed may not be the next Harvard, but, why should they have to be. They are what they are. Just legal in some cases, better in others. If they are enough why should Bear and crew have such a sh-t fit when someone gets them. Just how is Bear so harmed? Hell, he sold them, called them good, gave the addresses to them for years. It's a shame. The schools were of value and should still be scattered across the country as an option.