Set forth below is the text of a comment that one of the Greaney Goons put to another blog entry at this site:
Rob,
Here are just a few reason why your website is not successful:
You can’t back up your statements with facts (linking to your own comments are not facts)
When faced with facts that are documented by others that you do not agree with, you ignore them or delete the posts.
Your communication is often abrasive and your behavior is horrible.
You make silly unfounded threats, such as lawsuits and prison time, which make people conclude that you are a crackpot.
You make outrageous claims as to what you say you have accomplished, despite contrary evidence and then compare yourself to well known historical figures.
Everything to you is a made up conspiracy theory, when the fact remains that you have been shunned due to your behavior. There are people posting everyday that have disagreements and banning does not take place. Your behavior led people to have no other choice but to ban you.
You lack any personal success or track record.
You make long winded replies repeating the same nonsense over and over again, yet ignore any response.
You have caused extensive harm to many people, but most notably, Wade. You lack any morals or ethics in which your personal campaign trumps the ability of Wade to have a normal life on the Internet.
Evidence Based Investing says
That just about covers it.
Rob says
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Evidence.
Rob
The Deleted plop contributor says
Looks accurate to me as well. Why do you use the label of Greaney Goon? Does that not reinforce the message of this post?
Rob says
I am the person who discovered the errors in the Old School safe withdrawal rate studies, Deleted. This was 10 years before those errors were reported on in the Wall Street Journal. I reported on the errors in a post that I made to a Motley Fool discussion board on the morning of May 13, 2002.
John Greaney is the author of one of the discredited studies. His response to my post was not to correct his study but to threaten to kill my wife and children if I ever again dared to “cross” him by posting honestly on safe withdrawal rates.
That makes him a Goon. That makes those who post in “defense” of him Goons as well.
I of course understand that the term “Goon” is derogatory. I would of course prefer to live in a world in which Goons did not exist and in which it was not necessary for reporters seeking to tell a story honestly to use such terms. We do not live in such a world.
I did not create the Goon phenomenon. I am bound to report on it honestly.
The fact that the Buy-and-Holders feel compelled to resort to Goon tactics to “defend” their strategy tells us something important. It tells us that even its advocates are not aware of any way to defend the strategy through the use of logic and through references to peer-reviewed academic research. It also tells us that this is an intensely emotional strategy.
I feel for the Goons. Most of them are friends of mine from the day before I worked up the courage to post honestly on safe withdrawal rates.
But the 11-year cover-up of the errors in the studies is the biggest act of financial fraud in U.S. history. It would be a felony for me to agree to participate in that act of financial fraud. That means prison time.
I am not interested.
I naturally wish you all the best that this life has to offer a person, regardless of what investing strategies you elect to pursue.
Rob the Reporter
Evidence Based Investing says
I reported on the errors in a post that I made to a Motley Fool discussion board on the morning of May 13, 2002.
No you didn’t, you admitted that you didn’t understand the study.
http://boards.fool.com/price-adjusted-safe-withdrawal-rates-17209214.aspx
” I don’t understand the concept of a negative portfolio value. That’s what makes me a little uncertain as to whether I am reading the results correctly.”
John Greaney is the author of one of the discredited studies.
The study has not been discredited.
His response to my post was not to correct his study but to threaten to kill my wife and children if I ever again dared to “cross” him by posting honestly on safe withdrawal rates.
The study does not need to be corrected and Greaney did not threaten to kill your wife.
You have previously admitted that the supposed death threats did not come from Greaney.
http://arichlife.passionsaving.com/2012/07/14/rob-bennett-to-the-morningstar-com-site-administrator-a-poster-named-galeno-this-was-greaneys-1-supporter-on-the-board-put-forward-four-consecutive-posts-rejecting-out-of-hand-the-idea-of/
Rob says
That all makes perfect sense, Evidence.
Truly outstanding!!!!
I wish you all the best that this life has to offer a person.
Rob the Convinced
The Pink Unicorn says
Rob,
Thanks for bringing my old post back up again and I am glad that you and everyone else is in agreement with my observations.
Rob says
Um — Sure thing, Pink.
Rob
Anonymous says
This post belongs in the “People are Talking” section.
Rob says
I agree that it makes sense to add the words in the headline of the post to the “People Are Talking” section, Anonymous.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Rob
Rob says
That’s done.
Rob