The Video Professor

Gadabout doesn’t believe John W. Scherer is an actual Professor, but he is a very rich man who feeds off fear and ignorance suffered by those in society who are baffled by computer languages. The Video Professor makes enthusiastic claims of fast and effective learning techniques through the sale of CDs with “guaranties” of success—or “he’ll refund the S&H” of his products. His commercials are nauseating, and use levity in light of consumer fears and anxieties who face of a tidal wave of change in which they are falling behind the broader population.

I admit to never using a VP product, or even attempt to contact the company to make inquiries about their products or services, but I have recently gone up the VP web site to investigate. Scherer may have started VP with a genuine desire to offer a viable product to feed the hungry and thirsty first time computer owners trying to figure out how to use those mysterious grey boxes, but today he is nothing more than a charlatan.

Messing around on the www, I found several pages where consumers felt ripped off by hard selling telemarketers. False claims, extra CDs showing up in the mailbox, and hidden charges smack the face of the friendly Professor.

VP supplies false hope to those who are already on tight budgets, are struggling to catch up with the rest of society and are most vulnerable in a rapidly changing technical landscape. If the VP is truly a rip-off artist, then he is engaging in unforgivable sins against his fellow man.

Help Gadabout Jack on this: is the VP legitimate, or is he a sinner? What do you think?