(updated 16th Oct 2001 to reflect only website directory changes)
(last significant modification 12/11/99)
(new web site address, update the "Historical Record"
section)
Table of Contents
PAGE ONE - Main Page (this page you're looking
at now)
Following are internal links into sections further down in this
page.
Historical Record of PhD
Fraud
Open Offer to Derek Smart
Below here is the documentation for the research that proved that Mr. Smart did not have a PhD from an accredited school like he was claiming.
Who is Derek Smart?
Introduction
What Derek Smart has
Said About His Studies
Summary
FACT 1: Derek Smart's
Dissertation isn't Listed Anywhere
PAGE TWO - Supporting FACTS
Following are direct links into page two.
FACT 2: Derek hasn't Provided Simple Information
FACT 3: Derek's Lawyer Practically Admits it's not Accredited
FACT 4: Derek Smart has Changed his Story
FACT 5: Derek's Lawyer did not Produce Proof of a PhD
FACT 6: Derek Could Easily Close This Site
FACT 7: Derek Said that He Was Going to Sue
FACT 8: Derek Said He Graduated from LIT
FACT 9: Derek Said He Used Life Experience for PhD
Following are more internal links into sections further down in
this page.
Conclusion
Relevence
A Lesson to be Learned
Links to More Information
About Ph.D. Fraud
PAGE THREE - Background
Supporting Information
Following are direct links into page three.
Verification-Research
Sources
Accredited
Versus Unaccredited School
Diploma
Mill Verses Unaccredited School
Bogus
Diploma Mill Scams
Diploma Mills
that Could be LIT
LIT Doesn't
Mean Lost In Time
PAGE FOUR - More
Background Supporting Information
Following are direct links into page four.
Derek's
Reasons His School is Secret
UMI Said What's
Listed
Librarian's
Search
Book Says
Dissertations Are Listed
Copies of
Mr. Smart's Posts
HISTORICAL RECORD OF PHD FRAUD
This section is where all the changes will be made to the PhDFraud directory from now on. I'm leaving the rest of the PhDFraud directory in place as a warning to those people that might be contemplating an attempt to purchase false prestige instead of earning it. This directory will also provide information to others that might be suspicious about someone else's claims to a PhD and how dissertation listings work, etc. Another function this directory will serve is as a public historical record of Mr. Smart's most embarrassing PhD fraud. He plays fast and loose with the truth. If this directory were removed I believe that eventually Mr. Smart would try to claim that his threats brought it down.
The current sections that are most relevant to Mr. Smart's current situation are Bogus Diploma Mill Scams as well as the section Diploma Mill Verses Unaccredited School. In Sept. 1999, Derek was given the option to have a third party sworn to secrecy evaluate his dissertation. This was a suggestion by Dr. John Bear himself. This would have allowed Derek to prove his PhD was somewhat earned without revealing any specifics. To sweeten the deal further, I offered to take down this web site and disappear from the flame war if his dissertation was evaluated as being of a quality equal to what one would expect coming from an accredited institution. It doesn't appear that Derek will do this. It seems very clear that Mr. Smart purchased what amounts to a novelty diploma, a worthless piece of paper and just started claiming he had a PhD. A diploma from a degree mill is no more valid than if the individual printed out their own diploma. As a matter of fact it's worse because by purchasing a bogus diploma you're putting money in the hands of a con-artist.
Dr. John Bear has stated that it is not possible to earn a PhD from a diploma mill. He has explicitly stated that Derek's claim to a valid PhD has no credibility. Here's a link to a Dr. John Bear post that states this very succinctly and clearly. Another expert on distance education, Dr. Steve Levicoff, states that Mr. Smart's bogus claim to a PhD amounts to fraud.
Here's a description of one typical degree mill from Dr. John Bear's book. Note: Even though Derek said he went to LIT there is no LIT listed in Dr. Bear's book and Derek said that his diploma mill was listed in the degree mill chapter of Dr. Bear's book. I consider it a reasonable possibility that Mr. Smart even used the following diploma mill because he said he went to a small "tech institute". This is one of only two diploma mill's with "Technology" in the name.
"Sussex College of Technology, Sussex, England. Perhaps the oldest of Britian's degree mills, Sussex is run by "Dr." Bruce Copen from his home, south of London. At the same address, but with different catalogs are the Brantridge Forest School and the University of the Science of Man. Each offer "earned" degrees for which a few correspondence are required, and "extension awards" which are the same degrees and diplomas for no work at all. Honorary Doctorates are offered free, but there is a $100 engraving charge. "Professor Emeritas"[sic] status costs another $100. One flyer admits Sussex is not "accrediated" [sic] but goes on to say that "No student who has taken our courses and awards have to date had problems." This statement would not be accepted by, among many others, a former high-level state official in Colorado who lost his job when the source of his Doctorate was discovered. Sussex continues to advertise extensively in newspapers and magazines in the U.S. and worldwide. In 1988, a new British law came into effect, forbidding such "schools" to accept students who enrolled after May 1st. Sussex's solution to this minor annoyance was to offer to back-date all applications to April 30th, 1988 - a creative response that British law apparently hasn't caught up with yet."
List of Chapter 25 Diploma Mills (Dr. Bear's book 12th edition) from the UK. One of these is apparently Derek's "alma mater".
Academy College of Holy Studies
Academy of the Science of Man
Albany Educational Services
Avatar Episcopal University
Avatar International University
Brantridge Forest School
British College of Soma-Therapy
British Collegiate Institute
Broadhurst University
California Institute of Higher Learning
Central School of Religion
City Medical Correspondence College
College of Applied Science London
College of Divine Metaphysics
College of Spiritual Sciences
Collegium Technologicum Sussexensis Britannia
Creative University of Southeast London
Cromwell University
Ecclesiastical University of Sheffield
Episcopal University of London
European College of Science and Man
Faraday College
Gordon Arlen College
Harley University
Inter-State College
International Protestant Birkbest College
London College of Physiology
London College of Theology
London Educational College
London Institute for Applied Research
London School for Social Research
London Tottenham International Christian University
Lyne College
Metropolitan Collegiate
Ministerial Training College
Morton-Colwyn University
National Ecclesiastical University
National University of Sheffield
Nebraska College of Physical Medicine
Newcastle University
Northwest London University
Obura University
Oxford College of Applied Science
Oxford Institute for Applied Research
Saint John Chrysostom College
School of Applied Sciences
School of Psychology and Psychotherapy
Shield College
South Eastern Extension College
Southern Eastern University
Sussex College of Technology
Trinity Collegiate Institute
United Free University of England
Universal Ecclesiastical University
Universitas Iltiensis
Universitates Sheffieldensis
University in London (Note that there's also a real University of London that
I'm sure is a great school and has been around since 1836.)
University of Coventry
University of England
University of England at Oxford
University of Sheffield
University of Sulgrave
University of the Old Catholic Church
University of the Science of Man
University of Winchester
West London College of Technology
Western Orthodox University
Whitby Hall College
Wordsworth Memorial University
OPEN OFFER TO DEREK
SMART
If there's anyone that still doubts that Derek Smart is an
academic fraud then consider the following facts. Derek wants
this site taken down and to be rid of me. I've offered to do
exactly that if he would simply name the accredited school he
earned his bachelor degree at and after verifying that he earned
it prior to his fake PhD claims I'd take this web site down and
disappear from the flame war. I believe it's obvious that Derek
hasn't accepted this offer because he is a complete academic
fraud.
Start of Old Proof that Derek Smart did Not have an Accredited PhD
WHO IS DEREK SMART?
Derek Smart, author of a computer game called Battlecruiser
3000ad (BC3K), is infamous in the computer gaming industry. His
game is known as one of the most unmitagated disasters ever
released. (To Mr. Smart's credit he has since fixed it to the
point of it being playable.) Computer Gaming World has poked fun
at Derek a few times for an alleged incident where he beat up a
Coke machine. On Usenet in the computer gaming news groups he's
infamous for being the focus of the largest and longest running
flame war ever seen. Even before Usenet, the flames were on AOL
and Compuserve. On Usenet this first took place primarily in the
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic (c.s.i.p.g.s.) news group. Since
a new news group was created, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.space-sim,
(c.s.i.p.g.s-s), the flame war is moving there more and
c.s.i.p.g.s less.
INTRODUCTION
Derek Smart has claimed to have a PhD in almost every post
he's made over the past few years. Prior to the PhD flame wars
(8/8/97 - present), whenever anyone had asked about details he
was strangely silent. The biggest braggart many have ever seen
being silent on such occasions seemed very "out of
character". This coupled with my observation of many months
of Derek lies, lead me (Bill Huffman) to suspect that Derek's PhD
was a fake. After gathering further evidence, I believe this is
now an inescapable conclusion.
WHAT DEREK SMART HAS
SAID ABOUT HIS STUDIES
Here are some things Derek has said about his studies. He's
said that he studied in the USA and England. He's said he did all
his studies part time and via the mail. He's said his school is
in England. He's stated it wasn't important whether his school
was accredited or not. He's said that it is not accredited across
international borders but this is a problem with the USA
accrediting agencies. (Note: This is nonsense. Accreditation is
done only within the country that the school is chartered in.
There's no such thing as accreditation across international
borders.) He's said it's a renowned accredited college. He's said
it's a small tech institute. He's said that he will NEVER reveal
the name of his school. Most recently he's said he graduated from
LIT. He's said he grew up in England and moved to the USA in
1989. He said that when he moved to the USA, he didn't have a
PhD. He said that he earned his Ph.D. in under 2 years because he
used credit for work experience. According to his driver's
license number he posted (if correct), he was born in 1963. (Florida includes
the birth year in the driver's license number.)
SUMMARY
This presentation argues that Derek's PhD is a fraud. It
consists of nine firmly established facts. I believe that any one
of these facts taken separately would make a strong argument for
PhD fraud. I believe when putting these facts together, it will
be shown beyond a reasonable doubt that Derek has not earned a
PhD at any accredited school.
FACT 1: Derek Smart's PhD dissertation
is not listed anywhere.
(All PhD dissertations are listed in DAI or somewhere.)
FACT 2: Derek has not provided simple
information.
(Derek hasn't named his alma mater, among other things.)
FACT 3: Derek's lawyer practically
admitted it's not accredited
(The lawyer tried to claim that accreditation was a tangential
issue.)
FACT 4: Derek Smart has changed the
story about his PhD.
(He said his dissertation was published now, he says it's not.)
FACT 5: Derek's lawyer did not produce
proof of a PhD.
(Derek reneged on an agreement that would have removed this
site.)
FACT 6: Derek Could Easily Close This
Site
(Derek could easily close this site if he weren't a PhD fraud.)
FACT 7: Derek Said That He Was Going to
Sue.
(If Derek is not a PhD fraud, he's doing his best to look like
one.)
FACT 8: Derek Said That He Graduated
from LIT.
(There is no recognized institution LIT in the UK.)
FACT 9: Derek Said He Used Life
Experience for His PhD.
(You can't use significant Life Experience credit to earn an
accredited PhD.)
FACT 1: DEREK SMART'S
DISSERTATION IS NOT LISTED ANYWHERE
Almost all PhD candidates are required to write a PhD
dissertation (thesis). Even though Derek claims to have done a
dissertation, it is not listed. Derek has said that his PhD
dissertation title was "Artificial Intelligence & the
art of computerized thinking". He has also said it was
entitled "The Art Of Computerized Thinking".
Every dissertation is collected together by the school and made available (published) to facilitate the further advancement of academic research and human knowledge. At the absolute minimum, it is listed in the library of the school. All accredited schools in USA and UK will also send the information on to a more global listing, in the USA, to UMI and in England to the DfEE (Department for Education and Employment) and some on to UMI. Multiple people reported that different librarians have said that Derek's dissertation should be in the records, if he had a PhD and his name was really Derek Smart. In the book, "Get the Facts on Anyone" it says that looking in the lists will indicate if the person has the PhD that they're claiming. Derek admits that it's not listed anywhere, according to the book therefore, he doesn't have the doctorate he's claiming.
After multiple people reported that their own search had failed, Derek Smart admitted that his dissertation had never been published and is not even listed. (See copies of posts.)
A call to UMI verified that dissertations sent to UMI are listed in DAI, even when it's been "suppressed". (See UMI Said What's Listed.)
Fact 1 raises major suspicions about the validity of Derek's PhD claims, the book, "Get the Facts on Anyone", even says that fact 1 is enough to show he doesn't have the doctorate he's claiming. If you look at the quotes from the book above and then at some copies of Derek's posts where he emphatically states his dissertation isn't listed anywhere, I believe many could stop reading here and be convinced. Because Derek has saved us the trouble of proving that negative searches have been done through all the proper indexes and lists (which they have), it's almost as simple as 1 + 1 = 2. Please take a moment to look at the two sections, if you haven't already. (You can just click on the links, that's where your mouse cursor changes shape and the words are a different color.)
Now, let's continue on with the rest of the facts, which I think might be even more damning but, will take a little more time and thought to develop.
Jump to the detail for Fact 2 through Fact 9 then, come back here for the conclusion.
CONCLUSION
I've tried to back up every significant point and fact given
here via hyperlinks. You can verify everything including the
references for your self. Here's where to start your verification.
Fact 1 (dissertation not listed) means it's very unlikely it is an accredited college because if it was accredited then, his dissertation would be listed. When you take fact 1 and fact 3 (lawyer implies school's non-accredited) together with fact 8 (LIT is not accredited), I believe it proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the school is not accredited. Since the school is not accredited, it means that Derek Smart is a PhD fraud since he claims his school is accredited.
The book "Get the Facts on Anyone" says that fact 1 is enough to show that Derek doesn't have the degree he is claiming. I believe that fact 1 and fact 2 (won't name alma mater) taken together is enough to show PhD fraud beyond a reasonable doubt.
If someone asserts they have a PhD and their thesis couldn't be found, you'd be suspicious. If they claimed they did a dissertation to get a PhD and then said it couldn't be found anywhere you should be even more suspicious of the PhD. If you're familiar with the dissertation listing process, you may even be convinced of the fraud (e.g., like our librarians and the book "Get the Facts on Anyone" ). If someone claims they have a PhD but, won't name their school, you'd be very suspicious. If they could name their school and put to shame and be rid of a bunch of "detractors" and lay to rest a huge controversy surrounding their apparent lack of honesty but, still they don't name their school, you'd have to be either extremely suspicious or convinced of the fraud. Why did Derek renege on the deal that would have taken down this web site? There's only one reasonable explanation, Derek is a PhD fraud. When you add these facts together with the extremely damning fact that very important parts of Derek's "PhD story" changed when inconsistencies were found and Derek's lawyer didn't produce proof of a bona fide PhD as agreed, I believe it proves that Derek never earned a PhD at an accredited college, beyond any reasonable doubt.
Of course, it's possible that Derek could nullify this whole argument by simply naming his alma mater and it turns out to be a real college. However, it's been since August 1997 and the longer it goes on, the less likely that would seem. Also, I told Derek's lawyer, many times, that I would be happy to take down the web site, if he could offer any evidence that Derek earned a PhD at an accredited school. He never did this. Since then, I've offered to pay for the third party lawyer myself and I've even offered to throw in $500 "crowing money". (Derek gets to crow about it if he does the deal. I get to crow about it otherwise.) The web site is still here. If Derek has a PhD, he's doing his best to look like a fraud. He's completely convinced me he is a fraud.
On the other hand, the evidence that Derek has
a PhD is pathetically weak. What evidence is there that Derek has
a real bona fide PhD from an accredited school? There's really
only one thing, Derek's word. On 3/17/98, Derek's fanatical
supporter, Dan Brooks, proposed another possible bit of evidence
with this post.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: (BC3K) Derek Smart Threatens Legal Action...Again
yawn
From: "Dan Brooks" computer_resq@msn.com
...snip...
But think about it, ribo. You believe a lawyer would pursue this
course if at were all a charade? That the lawyer is not
intimately aware of the existance of the PhD? If this does
anything, it helps to establish the credibility of the PhD.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The above argument is ridiculous and just Dan Brooks spewing
nonsense because, a lawyer will try to do what their client wants
them to do. I think that just about anyone would totally reject
the above argument after learning more details by reading the
lawyer emails . Also, the
outcome of Derek's threatened lawsuits show that Derek was just
blustering and was not able to back up his threats with ANY
credible facts or action. All he did was attempt to scare and
trick in order to try and squelch the truth that is being
presented here. He used a lawyer to try and bully and suppress
the free speech that is being exercised here and in the
newsgroups.
The problem Derek has is the longer he goes without revealing his alma mater the more convinced people are going to be that he has no real alma mater to reveal. It has been over two years, there have been THOUSANDS of posts in the newsgroups about the PhD wars. Derek has spent tremendous effort trying to obfuscate and deflect this issue. He has spent much effort personally attacking anyone who dares question his PhD. He's also presumably spent a fair amount of money on a lawyer trying to squelch the truth that's presented here. The problem is that, why would he go through all of that, if he really had a bona fide PhD? If he really had a PhD then, all he would have to do is name his school and end it all? Since he doesn't, people are left to conclude that he didn't really earn it. Derek just got a bogus PhD diploma from a con artist in England.
Every new piece of evidence just makes the fraud argument even more convincing. For example, Derek tells people that he got his PhD at LIT. After I present the complete list of all UK recognized schools and none have the initials LIT, he makes up an apparent lie that LIT stood for "Lost In Time" and it never even crossed his mind that people might think it could be the initials of a school! Of course, a search of the world wide web and all postings on usenet by Derek and his toady Dan Brooks couldn't turn up one single example of anyone using LIT to mean "Lost In Time". More recently he claimed that he was able to get his PhD in under 2 years because he got credit for Life Experience. He was chastised on-line for his falsehood. The next time he discussed it a few months later he changed his story to say that he did NOT get credit for Life Experience.
Derek doesn't seem to understand that the onus is not on anyone else to prove that he DOESN'T have a PhD (though I believe I've done it here). As long as he refuses to name his school, people are going to naturally conclude that he's a fraud. If Derek doesn't like this (which seems obvious) then, the onus is on Derek to prove he has a PhD or to stop claiming a PhD. The onus cannot be placed on anyone else to prove he doesn't have one.
Is Derek so delusional or gullible that he really believes that he has a bona fide PhD? I don't think so, otherwise, why not name the diploma-mill he got his bogus diploma at? I think it's likely that he's so egotistical, he really believes that he deserves a PhD for writing a computer game. That doesn't make him a PhD, it makes him a PhD fraud. A post by Derek that makes a convincing argument that this is in fact exactly what is going on is this post by Derek where he makes the ridiculous claim that he could get another PhD from any nearby university in a month and without doing ANY work!
RELEVENCE
The point of concluding that Derek's PhD is a fraud is that
it shows that Derek Smart is a habitual liar, at least his
on-line persona, because almost every day he posts multiple times
to news groups and claims a PhD in almost every post. It is
irrelevant when it comes to evaluating whether or not BC3K is a
good or bad game. The PhD war is a major topic in Derek Smart's
flame war. It is very relevant when it comes to evaluating the
truth in whatever Derek is saying which is another favorite
activity in Derek Smart's flame war. What does it mean that Derek
has been caught "red handed" in his PhD fraud and he
continues to perpetuate his fraud? I think it is indicative that
Derek could be a pathological liar and just doesn't appreciate
the magnitude of his deceit nor how obvious his fraud is.
I believe that PhD fraud should be exposed. Therefore, I made this web site. A PhD is earned by someone for pushing back the frontiers of human knowledge in the academic environment. It unfairly cheapens the title to claim that it can be earned outside the academic environment and then be bestowed by a diploma mill or even an accredited university, as is being argued in the above linked post by Derek.
A LESSON TO BE LEARNED
If you are considering or know anyone that may be considering
trying to purchase instant prestige instead of earning it then,
this section is simply meant to dissuade what I believe would be
a grave error.
I hope that a lesson can be learned from this web site. The lesson is that claiming a PhD or any diploma or certificate that you have not earned is fraud. It is irrelevant whether a diploma mill or any other kind of con-artist has been used, it's still fraud. When someone commits a fraud like this they are risking their most valuable possessions, their respect, their credibility, their honor, their character.
Mr. Smart was accused of being a liar, a con-artist and even a fraud before his PhD fraud was exposed. But, now those accusations stick to him like glue. It now defines who the online persona known as Derek Smart is. It has even tainted the reputation of Mr. Smart's fanatical on-line supporter, Dan Brooks (AKA HockeyNut, Jedi, Schwing, Spud, RJ@Nabisco, Dan, Nomad, and ?).
Mr. Smart's PhD fraud has cost him financially. The most obvious direct cost was the legal expenses when he used his lawyer to try and scare me into capitulating and taking down this web site.
Mr. Smart's PhD fraud has probably hurt his career. Derek and his lawyer claimed that it had hurt his career by hurting his relationships and potential relationships with both publishers and customers. This was back when this web site counter only had about 100 hits. Derek would apparently like nothing better than to find a software publisher to back him for the development of a sequel to his BC3K game. I imagine that the exposure of his PhD fraud would have to hurt his chances at successfully finding and negotiating any deal.
I assume the PhD fraud has cost Mr. Smart significant emotional distress. Before the PhD fraud exposure, Mr. Smart seemed concerned about exposure. He would avoid questions about his PhD and his school. When verifiable evidence of his PhD fraud was made public (on the eve of Derek Smart Fraud Day), he freaked out and didn't seem to know what to do. He disappeared from the Newsgroups for his longest period since starting to post regularly on Usenet.
There's a law in Florida and I assume in many other places that says it is illegal to claim a PhD that hasn't been earned. (It's also illegal to use other unearned titles.) Mr. Smart apparently violates this every time he claims to have a PhD. Dr. John Bear apparently makes reference to this exact statute in his book. He states that the Florida Supreme Court has ruled that the way the law was written was incorrect and it cannot be enforced. So it apparently requires a minor rewrite before it is enforceable.
However, the Florida law may be rewritten anytime and there may be a similar law in your state or where you travel. So if you decide to claim a degree or certificate that hasn't been earned, if you ever have to go into court or the police station or you just get stopped by the police, I would think you might be vulnerable to arrest and prosecution for your fraud. If you use a bogus degree to get a job your employer may decide to fire you and complain to the police. It is like a ticking time bomb with no way to know when it might go off. That can't be a situation you would want to be in.
So, if you're considering an attempt to purchase the instant prestige of a degree or credential that you haven't earned, the lesson to be learned is that it is not worth it. Just consider the consequences of what would happen if your fraud was exposed. Consider the sad situation that Derek Smart is in because of his decision to become a fraud.
____________________________________________
Still have a question or would like more
information? click here to reference the third page
BACKGROUND
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
____________________________________________
Links to More Information About Ph.D. Fraud
Dr. John Bear's Introduction to the Degree Mills Chapter
Dr. Steve Levicoff's page
Link to the Flame War Follies for more details on the Derek Smart flame war
Email: Bill Huffman