Steve Levicoff has passed away

Rest in peace Dr. Steve Levicoff. He was a pioneer in the field and had a variety of experiences with education. Wrote with humor. Also, a bit of a character online. Sometimes a target for mill operators but he "Bwah hah...hahed" in their face.

I don't imagine he was that old (70ish?)

I would like to think he is up in the great hall of academia in the sky kibitzing with some of DI's deceased members.

 

Looks like he was about 71. Relatively young. He seemed to enjoy his adventures driving and going to see Broadway shows, etc. I hope he felt he lived his life well. There is more to life than a Discussion Board.

I recall Johann checked out of the Board here realizing that time is limited and he has other interests to pursue (studied a variety of things).

Steve Foerster, thanks for closing the loop for us.

 

Wowzers. Life really is precious.

 

Condolences to his family and members of this forum.

 

Thanks for sharing, Steve. My condolences to those who knew him.

 

I had the fortunate chance to meet him. He was friendly and kind. His punchier online persona was developed in debates on the unmoderated 1990s Usenet sometimes against operators of and apologists for unambiguous degree mills.

 

I kind of picture him up in heaven laughing with Jerry Falwell. I remember the story Steve told about getting a call from Falwell and standing dripping wet from the shower while he talked to him on the phone.

Falwell himself wasn't quite his public persona either in that he famously made those comments about the Teletubbies and then apparently people started mailing Teletubbies to him. A reporter asked him what he did with them and he laughed and said he gave them to his grandkids. Apparently he wasn't that concerned about Teletubbies.

 

I never met him. My feelings about his online behavior are clear. John Bear said he met Steve once and found him, in person, to be very much as Johnathan describes him. I accept that, so I've never understood his lack of self-awareness.

 

Isn't that modern Social Media though (Steve was just ahead of the curve). People post both anonymously and sometimes not but argue and get rather nasty online (belligerent) in ways they really wouldn't in public. It is kind of like what one researcher noted with regard to the anonymity we feel in an automobile and it can bring out a different person (aggression, etc).

Some people also get psychological benefits (in their perspective) when they troll people and upset them. They will say things that don't have to be accurate just to receive a boost from someone else's anger or knowing they have stuck it to someone.

 

I decided to read about Falwell and read that Christopher Hitchens called him "a little charlatan" or something similar. I then wondered how tall each of them was. Hitch was 5ft9 and Falwell was 6ft4.
I disagreed with Hitchens on a number of issues but he was very intelligent and articulate.

Falwell was upset with Levicoff over his soon to come out book on TRACS. But actually TRACS owes Levicoff a debt of gratitude. They stepped up their game no doubt in response to that book and are still around decades later. Now also an important rescuer of Historically Black Colleges and even accrediting PhD programs.

 

This reminds me: when Hunter S. Thompson was running for Sheriff of Pitkin County in 1970 he was running against a man named Carrol D. Whitmire who had been Sheriff for 4 years at that point and sported a crew-cut. Thompson shaved his head and then proceeded to call Whitmire "my long-haired opponent" for the remainder of the race.

 

I liked Steve Levicoff from way back in the Usenet days. He was a brave fighter for higher education standards. I enjoyed his irreverent sense of humor.

 

Very sorry to hear that Levicoff has died.

 

Now that is funny!

 

Crud.

 

Sleep well, Steve. Thank you for all your contributions and feedback on this forum and the sister forum. One of the pioneers in research on degree mills and fake non-accredited seminaries and faith-based colleges / universities. My condolences to your family. Your wise wisdom and contributions to this forum will live on.

 

R.I.P.
Dr. Steve Levicoff