Thoughts on this blog post alleging harassment (and worse) against Codesmith? · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
This is a bullshit comment from a fake bullshit account.
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Thoughts on this blog post alleging harassment (and worse) against Codesmith? · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
My text messages are completely consistent with my public communication. From what I've seen, Codesmith's was not. I exposed some of it here: [https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith](https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith)
Thoughts on this blog post alleging harassment (and worse) against Codesmith? · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied · ★ FEATURED
Codesmith doesn't have any non-Future Code activity that I see in the past few months... maybe a handful of students? Most of the people on their website aren't employed there anymore.
I didn't talk about Codesmith for months and things got WORSE.
People didn't realize how I recommended so many people go there.
Codesmith leaders really focused on the wrong thing here and I blame Will Sentance.
People have been shocked to see all the stuff he withheld during this time.
Thoughts on this blog post alleging harassment (and worse) against Codesmith? · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
Debunked [https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith](https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith)
Thoughts on this blog post alleging harassment (and worse) against Codesmith? · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied · DELETED · archived copy
Fake news, see: https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith
I said this above but I exposed 39 fake Reddit accounts and I'm ready to expose more. Stop manipulating and be transparent.
Thoughts on this blog post alleging harassment (and worse) against Codesmith? · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
Your comment is textbook example of manipulation and scamming. Shame on you and I'll leave it that. Maybe for Part 2 of the expose.
Thoughts on this blog post alleging harassment (and worse) against Codesmith? · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
Debunked: [https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith](https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith)
Thoughts on this blog post alleging harassment (and worse) against Codesmith? · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied · ★ FEATURED
There is a lot of stuff going on, but yes, Lars Lofgren's garbage work that appears to be spoon fed to him by Codesmith is all exposed yes.
Either he published the stuff they sent him without fact checking, or he's just a terrible "investigative journalist"
And either way, his credibility is gone in my opinion because neither excuse is valid.
The Extinction (or Execution?) of The Junior Engineer - from your friendly neighborhood former moderator · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
Of course I used AI to edit the work. I reviewed it like 10 times manually, and a couple times each with 3 different AIs. I tighten things up to try to shorten it with AI. I had AI reword 3 different sections.
That's how people write now. Embrace it.
Question for the SEO community: is this normal? · r/SEO
u/michaelnovati replied · DELETED · archived copy ★ FEATURED
Well read this before you trust Lars Lofgren with anything... https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith
I'm not a perfect human, but I'm fully transparent, honest, direct... wear my heart on my sleeve.
Lars has a black-hat mind and trying to pull me down to his level.
A Response to Lars Lofgren's Codesmith Piece · r/bootcamps
u/michaelnovati posted · ★ FEATURED
A Response to Lars Lofgren's Codesmith Piece
Lars Lofgren is not a reliable source of reporting. He is an SEO marketer who claims to know all the black had tricks on Reddit and falsely assumes my actions are textbook examples of his own strategies.
He's trying to turn a Reddit good guy into a villain to cover up his own sketchy SEO practices... conflict of interest?
He displayed malicious intent by calling me out with incorrect facts and intentionally not requesting comment from me and blocking me online when the piece came out. Violating standard Journalism Ethics Guidelines.
I’m trying to learn DevOps but these 6–7 hour coding videos make me feel less human · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied · · edited
half of posts in the past month are recommending practice Linux.com across a number of channels
I’m trying to learn DevOps but these 6–7 hour coding videos make me feel less human · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
u/Dowcet spam
BREAKING: IRS $118M BPA for Hiring and Training - 3 more companies including Gauntlet AI added to join FedStack and Lantec/Codesmith. More companies coming soon. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
This was wave two. The original bidding record is like 404'ing now so I'm actually not too sure the paper trail to tie it all together: 2032L226Q00008
The five BPA entries are:
2032L226A00003
2032L226A00004
2032L226A00008
2032L226A00009
2032L226A00010
BREAKING: IRS $118M BPA for Hiring and Training - 3 more companies including Gauntlet AI added to join FedStack and Lantec/Codesmith. More companies coming soon. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
I mean he spends a lot of money on litigation. I actually understand where he's coming from and he's delusional in different ways. I don't agree with it but I understand.
Gauntlet is free, free food, free housing, and it certainly changes the path compared to the Lambda stuff.
BREAKING: IRS $118M BPA for Hiring and Training - 3 more companies including Gauntlet AI added to join FedStack and Lantec/Codesmith. More companies coming soon. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied · ★ FEATURED
I was doing research into Lambda but another person published and I stopped then. People are starting to send me stuff about Gauntlet and I'm asking questions.
I never had any issue whatsoever looking into bootcamps because they had no conflict of interest, but Gauntlet overlaps more in 'upsklling' or helping existing engineers so I have to be more careful to maintain transparency.
People are telling me about a lot of non-engineers doing Gauntlet so if it's really a bootcamp in disguise, it's fair game. If it's more competitive with my company then I have to run in by legal.
Based on the whole Lars Lofgren bullshit though, like it might not be worth it... very torn between trying to help people but if all it gets me is negative attacks, I have to weight if it's worth it.
BREAKING: IRS $118M BPA for Hiring and Training - 3 more companies including Gauntlet AI added to join FedStack and Lantec/Codesmith. More companies coming soon. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied · ★ FEATURED
The 118m is a total maximum for all partners for all 5 years of the BPA, and historically BPAs pay only a fraction of that.
What this looks like is that the IRS allocated $118M to a big bucket for hiring people and upskilling people over the next 5 years but with zero commitment to how that happens yet.
The IRS has a large contract with Palantir to modernize stuff already that is separate for example and maybe that works better than expected.
BREAKING: IRS $118M BPA for Hiring and Training - 3 more companies including Gauntlet AI added to join FedStack and Lantec/Codesmith. More companies coming soon. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied · ★ FEATURED
So the partners that have been around for 10 years doing government contracting have expertise in this.
The new people who have like 3 employees and chatgpt heo to do it have zero value to offer
Which is my point in another thread. I think Codesmith and Gauntlet benefit more by making it seem like they are partnered with the IRS for legitimacy and they probably won't make a lot of money from this.
The people who have taught five other government agencies about COBOL already have an edge, even if Codesmith or Gauntlet could do a better job... the cost of them developing the COBOL expertise to teach it at the bar they want might not even break even for them financially.
Like I said, maybe Gauntlet has the cash to burn to build that position. Codesmith doesn't appear to given the public appearance of no or few non-Future Code students there recently.
BREAKING: IRS $118M BPA for Hiring and Training - 3 more companies including Gauntlet AI added to join FedStack and Lantec/Codesmith. More companies coming soon. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
will fix, 😃
BREAKING: IRS $118M BPA for Hiring and Training - 3 more companies including Gauntlet AI added to join FedStack and Lantec/Codesmith. More companies coming soon. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied · ★ FEATURED
It's not like the movie War Dogs haha!
The IRS has had so many cuts and freezes I really don't think they are dishing out millions for garbage. I think they are creating a highly competitive process to get all the services they want for the cheapest possible price.
Gauntlet claims to be doing well so they might have the money to underprice but being in a competitive business is not the way to make money.
Mom&Pop corner restaurants often don't make it.
Having a monopoly is how you make money.
I feel like this is probably a trap.
Codesmith's press release about "being selected" was fully of blatant manipulations of the truth and given then full pivot to "enterprise" and the fact that they made a Case Study document of all of their IRS work they claim to have done (which government sources still show as $0 paid out), it seems like the play here is to leverage the IRS branding to try…
BREAKING: IRS $118M BPA for Hiring and Training - 3 more companies including Gauntlet AI added to join FedStack and Lantec/Codesmith. More companies coming soon. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
As a provider, you register in SAM and bid on opportunies like 2032L226Q00008
BREAKING: IRS $118M BPA for Hiring and Training - 3 more companies including Gauntlet AI added to join FedStack and Lantec/Codesmith. More companies coming soon. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied · ★ FEATURED
This isn't a loan at all no.
The way it works is the IRS has earmarked $118M of budget towards a huge bucket of AI initiatives.
As they carve out specific projects with specific dollar amounts, the partners will be able to pitch themselves and one or more will take the project.
It's possible the $118M won't be used up. In fact, historically, most BPAs do not use up anywhere near the allocated amount. It's there so that it's preserved on paper. But if priorities change or government shuts down or shrinks the IRS, etc... then its possible they pay out $0.
So in reality individual companies might get $0.
Codesmith said they had a huge vetting process and being selected was a sign of how good Codesmith is, but looking at the growing list of companies... it seems like everyone with their paperwork in order will get a chance and that the real competition is for delivering future results,…
BREAKING: IRS $118M BPA for Hiring and Training - 3 more companies including Gauntlet AI added to join FedStack and Lantec/Codesmith. More companies coming soon. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati posted · · edited ★ FEATURED
BREAKING: IRS $118M BPA for Hiring and Training - 3 more companies including Gauntlet AI added to join FedStack and Lantec/Codesmith. More companies coming soon.
SOURCE: [https://orangeslices.ai/treasury-dept-ocio-awards-118m-technical-workforce-development-and-training-bpa/](https://orangeslices.ai/treasury-dept-ocio-awards-118m-technical-workforce-development-and-training-bpa/)
Some news broke earlier this year with a press release from Codesmith: "Codesmith Selected for $118M IRS Contract" and a number of people felt this meant that Codesmith received a check for $118M. That's not the case.
The $118M is a ceiling for training and hiring for the IRS, and the IRS just added three more partners to the contract, with more expected to be added.
Super interesting to see the pie being split up and fought over by competing companies and it seems they want as many contenders as possible.…
BREAKING: IRS $118M BPA for Hiring and Training - 3 more companies include Gauntlet AI added to Joining FedStack and Lantec/Codesmith. More companies coming soon. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati posted · ★ FEATURED
BREAKING: IRS $118M BPA for Hiring and Training - 3 more companies include Gauntlet AI added to Joining FedStack and Lantec/Codesmith. More companies coming soon.
SOURCE: [https://orangeslices.ai/treasury-dept-ocio-awards-118m-technical-workforce-development-and-training-bpa/](https://orangeslices.ai/treasury-dept-ocio-awards-118m-technical-workforce-development-and-training-bpa/)
Some news broke earlier this year with a press release from Codesmith: "Codesmith Selected for $118M IRS Contract" and a number of people felt this meant that Codesmith received a check for $118M. That's not the case.
The $118M is a ceiling for training and hiring for the IRS, and the IRS just added three more partners to the contract, with more expected to be added.
Super interesting to see the pie being split up and fought over by competing companies and it seems they want as many contenders as possible.…
Uhhhhh.... BloomTech launched "Gauntlet AI" - free 12 week bootcamp, paid to live in Austin, TX, 100 hours a week, guaranteed $200K job if you finish??? Popcorn ready. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
And are people who don't get jobs, what is the reason why? Because no company selects them OR because there aren't enough company slots for all the people?
Uhhhhh.... BloomTech launched "Gauntlet AI" - free 12 week bootcamp, paid to live in Austin, TX, 100 hours a week, guaranteed $200K job if you finish??? Popcorn ready. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
So 30 to 40 percent don't get hired by the other companies and are left over and then Alpha School comes in and hires up all the remaining people?
Genuine question: is Weblinkr a troll? · r/seogrowth
u/michaelnovati replied ·
I'm kind of fed up with the whole SEO community right now too. I have been attacked by SEO people who don't fact check anything and spew out SEO stories to get business instead of authentic work.
It just rubs me the wrong way as someone who me entire personal brand is real name, one account, consistent everywhere, I feel like I'm stepping into some giant game where everything assumes ulterior motives and that every post and comment is some kind of intentional manipulation.
Can't we just be open and transparent and honest on Reddit? Fewer fakers like Lars Lofgren and more authentic discussion about how things really are?
Thoughts on this blog post alleging harassment (and worse) against Codesmith? · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied · DELETED · archived copy ★ FEATURED
u/Gullible_Mousse_4590 here is the debunking: https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith
Either you didn't know about all of this stuff and you want to correct all of your misinformation or you did already know everything in here and all your posts calling me a liar are defamatory.
The sub should be temporarily hidden · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
This has been full debunked [https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith](https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith)
This person is a pro-Codesmith alt.
Is this the most pessimistic careers sub in all of reddit? · r/cscareerquestions
u/michaelnovati replied · DELETED · archived copy ★ FEATURED
I proved this here and yes you are a proven Codesmith alt and shame on you for what you've said and done online, absolutely disgusting and no surprise Codesmith enrollment has tanked to zero with people like you sneaking around with those alts.
[https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith](https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith)
Is this the most pessimistic careers sub in all of reddit? · r/cscareerquestions
u/michaelnovati replied ·
This is correct and I debunked it with 8000 words [https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith](https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith)
Is this the most pessimistic careers sub in all of reddit? · r/cscareerquestions
u/michaelnovati replied ·
The story you are referring to is exactly that, a fictional story, and has been debunked [https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith](https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith)
I said I would respond when I can, and I did with 8000 words/evidence debunking Lars' claims. **A Response to Lars Lofgren's Codesmith Piece.** · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied · · edited ★ FEATURED
You clearly didn't read the rebuttal piece which has an entire section on this. If you have questions about that section let me know but I believe it fully debunks.
Here's an additional example showing how completely the two services are, but read the actual post because I spent a lot of time writing 8000 dismantling all of Lars arguments so if you are going to read his post you have to read mine too.
https://preview.redd.it/g55k0malxdzg1.png?width=1512&format=png&auto=webp&s=98643623e21c13d7ac24aab8ea6cb40b73b9a9c2
No CIRR 2024-25 reports? Never taken this long for them to come out, and CIRR did not respond within 2 days to my request for comment prior to publication of this. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
Still no response from CIRR after a good week.
Such an embarrassment. They should shut down on a positive note and say goodbye and wrap things up. After years are calling itself the gold standard and calling themselves a guiding like for students everywhere.
If they do come back they do not deserve any credibility.
Codesmith launched their new website and it shifts focus to "enterprise" AI consulting, burying all their individual programs. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied · · edited ★ FEATURED
Looks like their individual programs are toast? The SEO tags now say:
TITLE: Enterprise AI Engineering Training \& Workforce Transformation | Codesmith
DESCRIPTION: Build AI-ready engineering teams with Codesmith. Trusted by leading organizations and awarded a $118M US Treasury contract, we train engineers to design, build, and scale AI systems faster.
Zero mention of their normal programs - 100% enterprise.
Hiring Companies, Beware Of The Gauntlet AI. Their Test Is Non Technical Disguised As IQ Test. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
Can you give more context on your background? Like not doxxing, just like are you a hiring partner? A student? An alumni?
Or prefer not to say at all, which is also fine but just curious.
Uhhhhh.... BloomTech launched "Gauntlet AI" - free 12 week bootcamp, paid to live in Austin, TX, 100 hours a week, guaranteed $200K job if you finish??? Popcorn ready. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
Do you know if any hiring companies dropped out or stopped hiring? Or if it's still going strong and they are sold out still?
Uhhhhh.... BloomTech launched "Gauntlet AI" - free 12 week bootcamp, paid to live in Austin, TX, 100 hours a week, guaranteed $200K job if you finish??? Popcorn ready. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
Well that was my initial concern too - like the top 2% engineers are making $1M+ and don't want this program at all.
So it's really people who have 'high potential' lets say.
That is interesting, do you have examples or evidence the hiring companies are upset or stopped hiring?
Like I think that would be a good signal right, Austen said they are massively oversubscribed, but I heard of graduates that can't get placed.
So I absolutely have questions! Do you know any answers?
Uhhhhh.... BloomTech launched "Gauntlet AI" - free 12 week bootcamp, paid to live in Austin, TX, 100 hours a week, guaranteed $200K job if you finish??? Popcorn ready. · r/codingbootcamp
u/michaelnovati replied ·
Yeah I've seen some livestreams and a lot of the people seem like not even coders, just people with high IQs that pass the test.
I mean the ultimate signal is if the people do well on the job right.
I was/am still optimistic that really smart hardworking people can do well on the job and Gauntlet can help connect the dots.
If in reality there's more to success on the job than a high IQ and insane work ethic then it probably won't work out.
It sounds though like it's more of a bootcamp in disguise that takes non-programmings and makes them programmers but completely rebranded approach from Lambda School.
And since people aren't paying anything to do it, getting free housing and food, even if it's full of lies, there aren't really damages.
So it probably only has to work for a small number of people to break even.
Interesting model.
Question for the SEO community: is this normal? · r/SEO
u/michaelnovati replied ·
I'm busy so I'll respond with my best guess:
1. I started writing on Reddit in 2022, well before AI was a thing and I haven't changed at all since then. Same deal.
2. If you look at his "evidence" of me "poisoning LLMs" the "more moderate" quote in his LLM screenshot, that was defending the bootcamp, was WRITTEN BY ME (and I don't think he even realized it!!). He just blamed me for the "damaging" negative quotes that were also in the screenshot because he was so blinded by it. When in realize me DEFENDING the bootcamp made it into the LLM results in an attempt to counter unfair criticism.
That's the exact opposite of what he was saying.
I don't think you read my debunking.
Question for the SEO community: is this normal? · r/SEO
u/michaelnovati replied ·
What does that mean "written for bots"? Like just so I can respond properly to make sure we're on the same page.
Question for the SEO community: is this normal? · r/SEO
u/michaelnovati replied ·
Wow, I wrote this 100% by hand, I normally use a lot of AI to refine by comments because I have a problem with typos. But this one I wrote entirely myself.
Question for the SEO community: is this normal? · r/SEO
u/michaelnovati replied ·
To be quite blunt: there is a really interesting story here, a story about how this guy built a coding bootcamp from 0 to $23.5M and then back to 0 again and how it's entirely the market and his own operational fault.
That story wasn't told from both sides.
Lars told some made of LLM-poisoning story that fit his background in SEO and absolutely ZERO to do with the actual story.
I'm not perfect, I said some mean things over the years, but I was digging into a really interesting community talked to dozens of people and was doing documented research and Lars just came out of nowhere and blindsided me such a un-factchecked bullshit narrative yeah.
Question for the SEO community: is this normal? · r/SEO
u/michaelnovati replied · DELETED · archived copy · edited
Yup and I issued my response here: https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith
Question for the SEO community: is this normal? · r/SEO
u/michaelnovati replied · DELETED · archived copy ★ FEATURED
Yeah like if he even just asked me for comment I would have pointed out his OWN mistakes in his own evidence. Like he didn't realize a key screenshot trying to demonstrate how I poisoned LLMs has a quote of me defending the bootcamp (because it wasn't labelled). He mixed up the timeframe of two events 2 years apart and framed it as me being a 'stalker of leadership's kids'... people are calling me a 'p-word' in some of the social comments and it's absolutely unwarranted.
Lars has blocked me on every avenue and I have no way to contact him.
I submitted a request to pull my personal email address from his blog because people were signing me up for porn subscriptions and he seems to have done that but didn't not actually respond to me.
I care less here about being right and more about the irreparable damage caused by him not fact checking anything.
8000 words of all the shit he missed,…
Question for the SEO community: is this normal? · r/SEO
u/michaelnovati replied ·
I do have a compelling narrative. Part of this is because it's 7 months later and the article was well timed at the peak of the controversy. But everything I've been saying for 4 years proved true, so I have a lot of credibility now.
But my problem is this guy got this thing to #1 on Hacker News, thousands of votes and shares, etc... and no one seems to really care about the story anymore.
Question for the SEO community: is this normal? · r/SEO
u/michaelnovati replied ·
u/WebLinkr I added the links and the post got removed
Question for the SEO community: is this normal? · r/SEO
u/michaelnovati replied ·
Oh you are a mod! If you ok it I'll put them there.
Question for the SEO community: is this normal? · r/SEO
u/michaelnovati replied ·
The rules say no links. I follow the rules to a T haha. That's why my Reddit account is so pristine and trustworthy 😛
Question for the SEO community: is this normal? · r/SEO
u/michaelnovati replied · ★ FEATURED
Lars: [https://larslofgren.com/codesmith-reddit-reputation-attack/](https://larslofgren.com/codesmith-reddit-reputation-attack/)
Me: [https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith](https://michaelnovati.substack.com/p/a-response-to-lars-lofgrens-codesmith)
This is about a coding bootcamp that collapsed and blamed $9.2M of damages on ME alone on Reddit and I systematically debunked everything he wrote.
He didn't ask for comment from me and I would have fact checked. Even his own evidence had mistakes he didn't realized I would have pointed out.
So I'm just super confused because he can't be THAT MUCH of an idiot right? Like He seems to pride himself in taking down scams.
So I'm trying to see if this is just some kind of SEO thing trying to spread without really knowing who he was dealing with here.
I took down a whole bad-actor Reddit Marketer and all of…