Request from a newbie to the Admins..

[pooteeweet]

You're quick to move a thread which doesn't belong, why not poof the ones from students wanting us to do their homework? I'm new and am being turned off from the site as every day there are new topics from brand new, desperate users wanting us to do their homework. Poof these...please?

Patrick

[Katy North]

Perhaps not poof them, but at least set out some guidlines for students who need help in a sticky... saying that we'll help them understand the book they're reading but we won't answer their questions for them...

[Night_Lamp]

It is the time of the year too. For months we have had maybe one
"please do my homework for me" thread a month. Once exams are over we'll be free again.

[Whifflingpin]

But no-one compels you to answer any questions, so, if you don't like the post just ignore it. "We" would like to make up our own minds who we help and how. As far as I'm concerned, you'd be on yer own with the sexuality in P&P and Blathering Heights, but were it compare & contrast Dinah Mulock & Anthony Hope as representative of early & late Victorianism then I might just feel compelled to help.

[Vautrin]

I hate to have to ask for help yet again, but my thesis is due tomorrow! I have to identify and explain every Biblical and Mythological reference and allusion found in the complete works of William Shakespeare. So far I only have about half a page done. Can someone please do this for me and email it to me at [email protected]? I would do it myself if I weren't so hungover.

[Scheherazade]

But no-one compels you to answer any questions, so, if you don't like the post just ignore it. I agree with Whifflingpin's statement. You don't have to reply or even open and read the kind of threads containing help request.

[myrna22]

I agree with Whifflingpin's statement. You don't have to reply or even open and read the kind of threads containing help request.

If no one helped them, they wouldn't be here in the first place. I believe the 'help' is misplaced. These students should have been paying attention in class and asking questions of their teachers. They should not be waiting until the last minute to write an essay. They should go to their teacher if they don't understand the assignment. Too often the 'help' here is not guidance, it is information that the student should be obtaining in class or through his/her own reading and research, or it is literally providing material for the essay. As a teacher, I find this kind of 'help' inappropriate. You are not helping anyone. If you want to help them catch fish, give them a fishing pole,don't hand them fish you have already caught.

[Niamh]

As Scher and Wiff said, you can just ignore the homework help threads and dont reply. We dont encourage spam but we still get it. We cant prevent people from posting homework help threads the same way we cant prevent forum members from replying. What we would hope however is that if a member does reply that they remember the forum rules and dont write abusive messages. :) Any member who does decide to help someone does it of their own accord and should not be made to feel slighted for doing so. :)
If the threads really bother you that much then just ignore them.

[Maximilianus]

I agree with Niamh. The spirit of a forum that has many sections is that we can choose where to participate, and where not.

[Whifflingpin]

Could we have a "Homework Questions" forum that included a rule that "Do your own homework" posts would not be permitted.

"If no one helped them, they wouldn't be here in the first place."
But we actually want people here, don't we?

Failing to do the reading on time, being late with essays, being too embarassed to ask the teacher, or having teachers who are too busy, unsympathetic or incompetent - these are all part of growing up.

"Too often the 'help' here is not guidance,"
I beg to differ - if the OP can wade through all the abuse and actually find the helpful posts, then what they mostly get is guidance - usually "Read The Book" for a start, and then pointers to notes and criticisms, then some hints about the question and information about essay construction. Maybe that should all have come from their teachers, and maybe it did and they missed it but you learn best when you think you need it, and help given here is given right at learn or bust time.

[The Atheist]

Could we have a "Homework Questions" forum that included a rule that "Do your own homework" posts would not be permitted.

We have that operative as the sticky in George Orwell*, but judging by the number of threads that get opened asking questions against the number of posts in the thread, it ain't going to work anyway.

Scher would be knackered from moving all the questions to the homework section.

Just let 'em start their thread and they'll either succeed or fail.

*See, if they used their brain and found out how forums work, they'd put the question in the sticky thread because then I'll see it, while a new thread will languish unanswered.

I have a strong suspicion that most of the questions are written by the terminally lazy, because it's pretty easy to tell those who have been listening and reading but need a little hand.

[ClaesGefvenberg]

You're quick to move a thread which doesn't belong, why not poof the ones from students wanting us to do their homework? I'm new and am being turned off from the site as every day there are new topics from brand new, desperate users wanting us to do their homework. Poof these...please?

PatrickWell... As others have said already, those questions will keep coming whatever we do.

I answer them every now and then: Most of the time by telling the posters that I am happy to help people helping themselves when I can. I will not consider doing anyones homework for them, but If someone makes an effort, really trying to deal with the task, still comes up short, and then comes here asking for help... Then I think some pointers in the right direction are perfectly in order.

/Claes

[Aravona]

Failing to do the reading on time, being late with essays, being too embarassed to ask the teacher, or having teachers who are too busy, unsympathetic or incompetent - these are all part of growing up.



Try having an English teacher who knew nothing of spelling, grammer, the books we were reading nor how to go about analysing them. I ended up having to ask a lot from other teachers. I ended up getting A literature and B language in my GCSEs without even finishing/ reading half the books. I didnt watch the films or anything. But I read and write quickly in an exam so when I finally had some direct questions I found that I could easily answer them.

Point being, some teachers just don't care, or don't know themselves (as my teacher didnt) so we ended up trawling the net / getting help. I got a lot of guidance, but thats what I asked for! I didn't go about saying 'This is what I've got to do, how do I do it?' I went away and researched the book or the poem, found some ideas, came back and said 'Right, this is what I've been tasked with, this is how far I've gotten, these are my ideas. Can someone please tell me if I'm still on the right track?' - all I asked for was a 'yes' or a 'no' And this system got me through 11 or more GCSEs 4 A levels and my Degree :)

[Heathcliff]

I hate to have to ask for help yet again, but my thesis is due tomorrow! I have to identify and explain every Biblical and Mythological reference and allusion found in the complete works of William Shakespeare. So far I only have about half a page done. Can someone please do this for me and email it to me at [email protected]? I would do it myself if I weren't so hungover.
Perfect place to ask seeing as this is the complaint thread. Hahaha. :lol:
I'm curious though, how often does that actually work where someone will actually do your work for you?

I agree with Niamh. The spirit of a forum that has many sections is that we can choose where to participate, and where not.
True. Its like, 'Aw, come on! I just wasted about three seconds of my life by reading the title of a thread and not being intruiged to read it.' Neh, there are study groups anyway.

[ClaesGefvenberg]

I went away and researched the book or the poem, found some ideas, came back and said 'Right, this is what I've been tasked with, this is how far I've gotten, these are my ideas. Can someone please tell me if I'm still on the right track?'That is exactly what I was talking about: There is a world of a difference between what you are describing and getting someone to do your homework for you. Well done.

/Claes

[Scheherazade]

Try having an English teacher who knew nothing of spelling, grammer, This is supposed to be ironic, right?

:smilewinkgrin:

I also would like to add that most of those threads generate discussions on books or other literary topics.

I am still at a loss why some feel so outraged by "homework help" threads. They post; you do or do not help; end of story.

[Aravona]

This is supposed to be ironic, right?

:smilewinkgrin:



Yes, Yes it was.... lol no its actually my bad spelling, see how badly I was taught?! This is why I got a B and not an A ... my teacher, sinfully, taught me to spell phonetically - this should not be allowed cos it messed my spelling up and I can now spend plenty of time on google double checking my work!

Getting married soon, my fiance has a BA in Creative Writing and Majored in poetry, and is published... I get enough stick about my spelling/grammar from him. :smilewinkgrin:

[applepie]

This is supposed to be ironic, right?

:smilewinkgrin:

I also would like to add that most of those threads generate discussions on books or other literary topics.

I am still at a loss why some feel so outraged by "homework help" threads. They post; you do or do not help; end of story.

I can't say that I really understand it. I personally like to help out every now and then, and it is always nice to know what is being taught/asked in schools. Sometimes they help to familiarize me with a work or just exercise the thought process around different books.

In all seriousness, Would a homework help section be possible? The reason I ask is that all too often, even people who have some basic knowledge of the assignment and the work are attacked, rather unfairly, for requesting help or the input of others. By the time I get around to reading, the person with whom the thread originated has long since stopped reading :(

[Janine]

I am not really opposed to helping out with homework if I have the time; but the thing is often I notice threads started and it seems like the person asking for help left their assignment till the last minute and they sound completely desperate. I also have had total strangers PM me asking for help on a subject I don't have the foggist idea about. I wonder if they think I am a genius or something. I have often turned them down, because I really don't know anything at all about the subject they are speaking of.

[Nightshade]

"If no one helped them, they wouldn't be here in the first place."
But we actually want people here, don't we?


I had to laugh at this one... sure we do it just made me think back though for a moment to the days when we could what was it again oh yes "skip naked through threads" as you were the only person online.... :lol:

I personally generally get a laugh out of them we have had some fairly halirious posts over the years, there was kilted's take on Hamlet ( or was it Othello) anyone remeber that? Oh there was the guy who out and out demanded we did his work for him because we were 'sad' people without lives or anything better to do... you just have to laugh sometimes! :nod:
Ignore them- don't its up to you, the only people who are actually forced to read every post are the Mods and admin and so you can just skip skip skip :D

[kilted exile]

My take on Hamlet was a thing of genius definitely A + material.

[Niamh]

My take on Hamlet was a thing of genius definitely A + material.

:lol: that was amazing!

[Janine]

I had to laugh at this one... sure we do it just made me think back though for a moment to the days when we could what was it again oh yes "skip naked through threads" as you were the only person online.... :lol:

I personally generally get a laugh out of them we have had some fairly halirious posts over the years, there was kilted's take on Hamlet ( or was it Othello) anyone remeber that? Oh there was the guy who out and out demanded we did his work for him because we were 'sad' people without lives or anything better to do... you just have to laugh sometimes! :nod:
Ignore them- don't its up to you, the only people who are actually forced to read every post are the Mods and admin and so you can just skip skip skip :D

True, they are pretty hilarious sometimes.

[Maximilianus]

I also have had total strangers PM me asking for help on a subject I don't have the foggiest idea about. I wonder if they think I am a genius or something.
Shame on you, Janine! Go study some, so you can help all these helpless poor people! :lol:


I have often turned them down, because I really don't know anything at all about the subject they are speaking of.
Shame on you a second time, you bad, bad forumer! :lol: :lol:

[Janine]

Shame on you, Janine! Go study some, so you can help all these helpless poor people! :lol:


Shame on you a second time, you bad, bad forumer! :lol: :lol:

Max, you sure have been hard on me lately. Geez, I can't very well help someone if I don't know anything about the author or subject they are talking about, can I? I am not genius or scholar. No time to study all the authors and subjects at my age. :lol:

[Maximilianus]

Max, you sure have been hard on me lately. Geez, I can't very well help someone if I don't know anything about the author or subject they are talking about, can I? I am not genius or scholar. No time to study all the authors and subjects at my age. :lol:
:D I was just having some amusement here and on other threads :nod: Hasn't been a very good day, so I thought I would come here for a thread hunt http://smiles.kolobok.us/rpg/elf.gif .... :p

[Scheherazade]

Since this thread does not address to its original purpose (and the OP's question has been answered), it will now be closed.