Harold W. Vadney III is a wannabe translator who lies about his credentials. In August 2007, I exposed him on the now-defunct Network of Independent Linguists’ Discussion Forum. He has now set up a blog devoted to telling lies about me and others. This is my reply. To comment or for further information write to Richard_Benham_AU-StopVadneysLies[at]yahoo.com.

Monday 21 January 2008

Beggaring belief....

Facts, anyone?


Now the Vadney is denying his own comments!

Moreover, Mr Benham expressly states in one of his many comments to his own postings: "... and that the Vadney has posted no fewer than three comments on my blog (the third I deleted, because it came after I warned him to stop commenting on my blog)["]. Actually, the only person posting on Benham's blog is Benham himself, which is quite natural for a blog, but his many profane diatribes peppered with profanity and insults posing as comments are, well, a bit ludicrous.
Mr Benham: Facts, you know what they are, don't you?


Yes, I do know what facts are. They’re just the sort of statements not made by the Vadney in the above quotation.

(I think the Vadney is trying to deny having posted comments on my blog in the above. Otherwise, it doesn’t make any sense, which does not seem to worry the Vadney much.... If he isn’t denying posting comments on my blog, what is the point of the last sentence?)

In fact, the Vadney’s two initial comments are still there (on the first posting on this blog, entitled “Harold W. Vadney III is a professional liar!”). They are the second and third comments on the page, posted under the absurd pseudonym BG (which the Vadney was using at the time as his “name” on his own grubby little blog). The fourth comment is from me, and it starts with the paragraph:
Mr Vadney, as soon as I find a way to stop you posting your drivel here, I will do so. In the meantime, please refrain from making further comments here.


Undeterred by this warning, the Vadney then posted a third comment, which I deleted. The whole page has been archived.

As the title implies, this beggars belief: the Vadney, not exactly known for his veridicity, actually denies posting comments that are still there, on this very blog, for all to see. Or at least I think that’s what he was trying to say. Pity he can’s write decent English (a minimal prerequisite for being a translator into English, of course).

More samples of what a fact is....


Here are some more sample facts:

From 2000 (at least) to August 2007, the Vadney claimed many times and in many locations on the Internet to have an MA degree from SUNY at Albany, to be a Member of the Institute of Linguists, and to be a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, manufactures and Commerce.

All these claims were false.

The Vadney only stopped making these false claims after I exposed him on the now-defunct Network of Independent Linguists’ forum in August 2007. (He continues to make others.)

Since then, the Vadney has been intentionally defaming and harassing me (among others) in various online venues, including the TranslatorsCafe.com fora and, most recently, his current sordid little blog. Almost all the claims he makes about me are false: in particular claims that I have lied about or defamed him and other translators. He knows these claims to be false, but goes on making them anyway.

6 comments:

Richard D. Benham said...

And from an earlier posting to the Vadney’s blog (20 December 2007—too late to delete it diddums, it’s been archived!), we have...

On his new site -- the "response" to this blog -- he now deletes all of my comments to his postings.

Now the Vadney’s trying to deny ever posting comments to my blog?! As I said once before, that’s the trouble with being a liar: it’s hard to be consistent. Especially if you’re not very bright.

HWV said...

Mr Benham:

Do you have any statistics on visitor traffic to your site? How many visitors to date? That is, besides you and Mr Horne?

Thank you,
Harold Vadney

Richard D. Benham said...

Mr Vadney, I have asked you not to post comments on this blog. I am allowing this one as an exception, even though it is totally irrelevant and infantile.

In answer to your question, I don’t have any statistics, and I am not interested in them. This is a venue for self-defence, not self-promotion.

Now please go away and leave the adults in peace.

Scott Horne said...

I would recommend allowing Mr Vadney to answer the questions that you posted a few weeks ago: the ones concerning his claims of master's degrees, doctoral degrees, membership in various prestigious societies, and other credentials that he has dishonestly claimed.

Richard D. Benham said...

Hello Scott, and welcome back!

The Vadney has submitted two more inane and infantile comments, which I do not intend to allow. He has been asked to refrain from commenting, and he should respect my wishes. If he wants to give straight answers to the questions I posed about a month ago (“Open Challenge to the Vadney”), I’ll make an exception, but if he were serious about that he could do it on his own blog.

Scott Horne said...

Hi, Richard,

Of course the decisions about the content that may be posted on this blog are yours alone. I don't blame you for banning Mr Vadney, who posts little but rubbishy nonsense.

Perhaps I should withdraw my suggestion that he be allowed to answer your questions concerning the non-existence of many of the credentials that he has claimed (and in some cases apparently still claims). As you said, he could have responded months ago. He effectively conceded some of his lies in that article published in the Times Union back in August. If he were being "defamed", he would have come forward with diplomas, transcripts, or other evidence to refute the "defamatory" allegations. Has he done so? No. He merely slings mud at you and me, as if that tactic somehow redeemed him.

I'm not concerned about his rubbishy attacks. "Truth is generally the best vindication against slander", wrote Abraham Lincoln--and the truth is squarely on our side.

About Me

I am a professional translator in the combinations French>English and German>English. I hold qualifications from the University of Adelaide (BA, DipCompSc), the Australian National University (LittB), the University of Geneva (Certificat de spécialisation en linguistique), and the the UK-based Institute of Linguists (Diploma in Translation for both my language combinations). I am an implacable opponent of bullshit in all its forms.