From the Paul Barford blog…..
“The trouble is that it seems from everything one observes that in actual fact the capacity for the average detectorist to understand any of this rocket-science type stuff is pretty limited. It stands to reason that “the detecting community” cannot put any “learning into practice” if it is basically, for certain reasons having an origin outside the hobby, unable to learn anything at all. I would point out that this perhaps should be phrased the other way round, I do not believe that it is detecting that causes these problems, I would rather say there is a tendency for detecting to attract a certain group of people. PAS characterised them in social terms by postcode data, Minister Lammy saw them as including a lot of people “challenged by formal education”
“I am for ever being criticised for sharing my observation that many of the people you come across on the forums etc are not the brightest knives in the drawer, and many cannot even operate Basic English. This however is a fundamental fact which is the biggest stumbling block in the “they can be educated/they can learn” model. Many of them demonstrably cannot. They’re adults, have been right through school, but somehow came out with basic skills missing. Low standards of literacy on such a scale in a certain group mean something, they do not happen by accident”.
If you wondered why John Howland and I continue to take on the Paul Barfords and Nigel Swifts of the world, the above comments will give you the answer. Please read the whole post HERE and then tell me how you feel…
Stout Standards 
Incredible isn’t it that he feels he can treat people in this way. I sometimes wonder if he is hoping to make 1st place in the most hated man on the Internet contest.
I will be doing a blog post later about his recent out burst be sure to check it out
http://www.diaryofadetectorist.blogspot.com
Funny, I find things the other way in my detecting experience. Most of those that I hunt with are successful business men and women. Including several doctors that had to do some surious learning to get where they are. Talk about uneducated, the idiot writing that stuff needs to get out and experience REAL life!
Indeed, and he will not share his academic credentials. Pretty much accepted he is not an archaeologist and just someone who needs help in a big way.
The guy is a total buffoon, so I’ll raise my glass with you.
Buffoon? You are being much too kind Gold Finger…
Well…when all many people have to base an opinion on us is the “Diggers” show, I’m not surprised by his comments. I often laugh to myself when I watch an episode and one or both of these goofs is wearing a University sweatshirt. It is true though…sweatshirts like University is available to anyone who can afford it.
Maybe Mr. Barford would share a photo of his University shirt (along with his academic credentials)….?
Sorry for the hijack but just to let you know my take on Pauls post is now up
http://Www.diaryofadetectorist.blogspot.com
Hate to say it, but as a member of a couple dozen internet forums on such things as music, 60s nostalgia, local history, and treasure hunting, I find it obvious that many treasure hunters are much closer to illiterate than members of the other groups. Their posts make me cringe – poor grammar, bad spelling, and sentences that make little sense.
But so what? As technology advances, things generally get simpler for us non-tekkies, not more difficult. Used to be you had to operate a clutch to drive a car – now you just put ‘er in Drive and go. Used to be you had to dig up an item to know what it was – now your meter tells you (Not perfect, but still right more often than wrong.)
I’d rather treasure hunt with an experienced hunter who can’t spell than with a PhD who thinks his education makes him an instant expert on metal detecting.
Dan I find detectorists are “real” people, salt of the earth and the kind of folks I prefer to be around. I don’t really care about their grammar. As for Paul Barford….he is quite a few notches below scumbag and this, his latest post is an insult to all of us. He can KMA.
Now I hope that doesn’t make you cringe…just telling it like it is.
Almost all detectorists around the world speak the same language and understand each other. I have spoken to many around the world. It may be broken English, bad English or sloppy English, but it’s all music to my ears when we’re talking treasure!
Indeed…thanks Arthur.
My father use to work for the University of Toronto. His take on degrees was this….”BS…Bullsh&t”, “MS…more of the same”, “PhD…piled higher and deeper”!!
Barford’s middle name is bullshit.
Wots ee on about, is ee calling us fick or summat. I’ll ave im know I left skool at 15, and with a certificate. ok innit, the certificate wos for second place junior boys sack race, but i had one innit. Wots ee got, Nother fing, tecting is more arder than archelogy innit, I means, wen it rains archeloagists put up a tent to work under, the softees, we dont. Ow dare im call us fick.
Now, ow you send this mail fing, I got me instruksion book ere sumwhere….
And Janner and me we went to the same skool….so der!!
Reminds me of an old saying…”better to keep folks thinking you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt”! 🙂
If there are such people in this hobby as Barford alleges – then in my opinion – they are far preferable to someone who chose to live under communism, and who reviles the US and the West at every opportunity.
Barford wrote this sick-bag stuff in the Preface of his turgid tome about the Slavs: ….”“The original research for this book would not have been possible were it not for all of those in the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of Poland for their interest in and funding of my initial research.”
Respected international US numismatist David Welsh wrote this about our man in Warsaw: “My wife holds a doctorate in psychology, and she has explained to me that such behavior reveals a personality disorder characterized by narcissism and unrealistic, irrational fantasizing.”
Let’s leave it there, eh?
Yep when you add it all up he’s pretty much as advertised….
No one able-bodied person with any self-respect would lampoon someone with a disability, or poor education. Thus we should NOT laugh or deride Barford.
Mr. Barford has also expressed his low regard for the intelligence of ancient coin collectors or “coineys.” “Coineys” like metal detectorists often use their hobby as an escape from their jobs working as teachers, doctors, lawyers, scientists etc. Leaving one’s employment history aside, both metal detectorists and coin collectors share a love of history, and that in itself suggests a level of sophistication beyond that imagined by Mr. Barford for members of both groups.
Peter, I am not sure Mr. Barford loves, likes or enjoys anything, period. I feel sorry for his family (if he has one).
If you are not familiar with the Warsaw Wart….
Hard for me to read this man’s words of hatred for all people who use metal detectors. I find just the opposite of what he writes as most everyone I know that does any metal detecting come from all walks of life and few fit into the mold that he has put us all in. Sure there are some out there and then there are some people that shouldn’t have a driver’s license but I don’t hate them. The man needs to lighten up a little. Oh, and he writes’ I am forever being criticised for sharing my observation that many of the people you come across on the UK detecting forums etc are not the brightest knives in the drawer, and many cannot even operate Basic English’. First, his spelling could use a little touching up and second, it is not ‘the brightest knife in the drawer’, it is ‘the sharpest knife in the drawer’. At least that is the way this old red neck has heard it all his life.
You are right James…he hates. It’s his purpose in life unfortunately.
This is a very interesting video……with all that they know about where things have been in the past–they didn’t listen to where the finds had been dug by the detectorists…………………http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD4C2qBcotw
Hmmm… “not the sharpest knife in the drawer”, that’s a new one for me. Hey Barford, I prefer “not the brightest crayon in the box”, its more colorful. Don’t be such a hater.
Dick, here’s some ammunition for you:
http://www.jmm.org.au/articles/14071.htm