The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Exciting Benchmark Reviews update!

Posted on July 22, 2010 by

Wow. I got home from a poker game in the early hours of this morning, and idly wondered if busted shill/"executive editor" Olin Coles might have replied to my polite request for his side of the story with regard to his hopelessly dishonest excuse for a website. What I found was that Mr Coles had instead chosen to post on the Benchmark Reviews forum, in a thread entitled "Forever banned: Hall of Shame". The thread describes itself thus:

"Like any writer, our work comes under fire from time to time. Most of the criticism is taken to heart and used to improve future work, but occasionally the critic can go overboard and begin making personal threats and accusations. This thread is intended to show our visitors that their accusations and threats do not remain anonymous."

I had of course made no threats whatsoever, made an enquiry rather than an accusation, and had invited them to offer an explanation using my real name, not anonymously. Benchmark Reviews' response to being caught red-handed printing press releases under the guise of a review, however, was to not only ban me from their site, but to publish my name, address, email address and phone number, implicitly inviting people to harass me or worse.

It's hard to imagine a guiltier response, or a more cowardly one. I think we can safely assume  from this deranged outburst  of panic that we've caught Benchmark Reviews with their grubby little hands right in the cookie jar.

0 to “Exciting Benchmark Reviews update!”

  1. Gabe says:

    Of course, publishing 'your' details is only punishment for you *if* that site had thousands of fans, outraged at your activity, and baying for blood.
    Alas, I fear that the community in question is as numerous/motivated as the South Hobart scarf knitters forum.

    Reply
  2. Damian says:

    … Darius Burst?

    Reply
  3. Cook says:

    Very scummy and childish move by BS Reviews. I don't see how they thought this tantrum would do anything other than make them look more guilty.
     
    I'll be sure to remember just what kind of people are behind that site and warn others.

    Reply
  4. The Nixon Administration says:

    Ironically, I'd never even heard of Benchmark Reviews before this farce, but Olin Coles is clearly a prize crapweed.
    I did a very cursory Google search of his name to see if there was more corking material out there, and (apart from a Facebook user photo that tells you pretty much everything you need to know), it transpires he's on LinkedIn – turns out he's ex-military (having "left" the Marines in unexplained circumstances in 2002).  Explains an awful lot, including the repeated use of terminology like "dishonourable discharge" to describe banning someone from a forum that discusses reviews of computer equipment and chairs.

    Reply
  5. Lenny says:

    Isn't publishing somebody's name, address and other contact details a breach of the Data Protection Act?

    Reply
  6. Rev. Stuart Campbell says:

    Almost certainly. His webhosts (VPSlink.com) have a totally broken contact page, sadly.

    Reply
  7. Irish Al says:

    Vpslink.com is registered by enom.com
     
    link to enom.com

     

    Reply


Comment - please read this page for comment rules. HTML tags like <i> and <b> are permitted. Use paragraph breaks in long comments. DO NOT SIGN YOUR COMMENTS, either with a name or a slogan. If your comment does not appear immediately, DO NOT REPOST IT. Ignore these rules and I WILL KILL YOU WITH HAMMERS.


  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,868 Posts, 1,234,650 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Northcode on The Secondhand Amendment: “Trump is a trumpeting harbinger; the pompous, witless and ignorant harbinger unknowingly heralding the approaching grand executioner of imperial metropoles.…Jan 21, 07:24
    • Northcode on The Secondhand Amendment: ““…If you think the ‘trans’ lobby/’woke’ has nothing to do with our lack of forward motion on independence, I don’t…Jan 21, 07:15
    • Young Lochinvar on Learning Insanity: “H McH Oi vey y’all! I reckon your poster boy will have given himself an aneurism long before that! What’s…Jan 21, 03:54
    • Saffron Robe on The Secondhand Amendment: “I don’t think the exact provenance of the fabricated quotes or misquotes matters much. What matters is that false data…Jan 21, 00:10
    • robertkknight on The Secondhand Amendment: “Someone should tell the Marmalade Man-baby to let Greenland alone else we’ll pave over his precious golf courses then bury…Jan 20, 22:38
    • Lorna Campbell on The Secondhand Amendment: “Dunx: yes, it does. However, it will spout only that which has been fed into it. When asked for a…Jan 20, 22:17
    • Lorna Campbell on The Secondhand Amendment: “Northcode: Scotland is no different position to any other country infested with this ideology whose entire aim is to subvert…Jan 20, 22:01
    • Ex President Xiden on The Secondhand Amendment: “You should never question the actions of those who deign to rule over us until you have walked a mike…Jan 20, 21:25
    • Bilbo on The Secondhand Amendment: “All this woke nonsense emanates from the USA. All these other countries are dependent on America, whether financially or militarily.Jan 20, 21:21
    • Northcode on The Secondhand Amendment: “Any Scot who thinks the abomination that is the barely animated ragged corpse called the Scottish Government is more than…Jan 20, 20:58
    • sam on The Secondhand Amendment: “Again from Iain MacKinnon “So, just about 1800, you have this man, John Sinclair of Ulbster. He was a Gaelophile.…Jan 20, 20:50
    • sam on The Secondhand Amendment: “What do you mean? There were many colonies. This from Iain MacKinnon. “Did Finlay go with you to a place…Jan 20, 20:45
    • PC Foster on The Secondhand Amendment: “https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/why-i-am-suing-my-trade-union/Jan 20, 19:23
    • agentx on The Secondhand Amendment: “On what date was Scotland colonised?Jan 20, 18:53
    • Dunx on The Secondhand Amendment: “@Lorna AI does seem to make up facts. Try asking ChatGPT if a woman can have a penis.Jan 20, 16:35
    • robertkknight on The Secondhand Amendment: “The Marmalade Man-babyJan 20, 15:19
    • TURABDIN on The Secondhand Amendment: “WHY IS TRUMP SO ANGRY? https://archive.ph/OJUzd Infantile peavishness or too much constipation causing American food? Henry 8, that figures.Jan 20, 14:47
    • sam on The Secondhand Amendment: “100%Yes below. Yes, 100% Yes. Assimilation of Intuit culture and monopolised tradeJan 20, 14:35
    • Lorna Campbell on The Secondhand Amendment: “Was listening to Scotcast re the FWS case against the SG on the question of men in the women’s prison…Jan 20, 14:11
    • Hatey McHateface on The Secondhand Amendment: ““timed to do maximum damage to the independence vote” Wow! Professor Baird believes the SNP are still driving hard for…Jan 20, 13:52
    • Lorna Campbell on The Secondhand Amendment: “Yes, Nae Need, I agree. However, I can understand the self-interest of those who claim to be ‘trans’. That does…Jan 20, 13:43
    • Lorna Campbell on The Secondhand Amendment: “Computers cannot make up facts that are not actually there. They can introduce errors as to provenance. This is not…Jan 20, 13:28
    • Lorna Campbell on The Secondhand Amendment: “She knows that AI could not have made some of the errors in the way they were made. It had…Jan 20, 13:19
    • Lorna Campbell on The Secondhand Amendment: “Of course, AI is used extensively, but not in the way that this judgement pans out, so, either lies are…Jan 20, 13:09
    • Confused on The Secondhand Amendment: “aircrew training video for the new F47 stealth superfighter (this should be the real top gun) www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECRWT9TEaj0 us foreign policy…Jan 20, 13:01
    • Lorna Campbell on The Secondhand Amendment: “James, every piece of legislation, in Scotland’s history, and every piece of legislation in England’s history referred to two sexes…Jan 20, 12:59
    • Confused on The Secondhand Amendment: “not you, Scotland! https://archive.ph/PrffD but wait … trump is on a roll; while “the current thing” is no longer iran,…Jan 20, 12:59
    • 100%Yes on The Secondhand Amendment: “No mention of the Inuits, why am I not surprised. Took great detail to write the Kingdom of Denmark, interesting…Jan 20, 12:46
    • Alf Baird on The Secondhand Amendment: ““it’s hard to know it’s true meaning and who exactly is a fascist” According to Cesaire, numerous intellectuals including Robinson,…Jan 20, 12:43
    • James Cheyne on Learning Insanity: “Lorna, Do not confuse the two separate speeches the monarch made as they were on two separate chronological time lines.…Jan 20, 12:37
  • A tall tale



↑ Top