On 8/25/07, Thomas Hruska <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Paul Herring wrote: > > On 8/25/07, Thomas Hruska <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Just a heads-up, it is that time of year again when students will be > >> flocking to c-prog en-mass for homework solutions for their Comp. > >> Sci./Eng. coursework problems. > >> > >> Group members: Please refrain from providing solutions (unless you are > >> picking on the students with the solution). If you provide a legitimate > >> solution, you will only be hurting the student in the > >> long-term...especially if they plan on getting a job in this industry. > > > > I would imagine most of the posts will be from new members, and thus, > > will be moderated. May I suggest rejecting the messages with a > > suitable link to the Smart Questions site, or a 'this isn't a homework > > service' message rather than allowing them on list to start with? > > > > I moderate from the website and am happy to do this for any messages > > left in the moderation queue, (I know you Thomas, for example, and > > Brett, usually moderate by email and you cant do this by email - I can > > catch those if you do nothing with them.) > > We can try it. But delivering legit/non-homework questions to the > doorstep of Smart Questions might not be entirely appreciated. Maybe > throw in a disclaimer as well to the effect of "If this isn't a request > for a homework solution, please post again but clarify your problem and > provide source code." Or something like that.
My POV basically boils down to do we a) let homework questions through on the grounds of 'legitimacy' (i.e. on topic) or b) deny them because we don't do homework. (With the denial containing pointers as to what this list is/isn't considered appropriate - at a push, create a new html page (where the swap without temporary page is e.g.) and reply with a link to that for example; with a form letter for those that won't bother following the link etc.) How (b) is expressed (what I think we're talking about, and what I favour) can be refined later - I was basically asking should we[moderators] do (a) or (b) :) By the way, I'm assuming meta questions/answers are sort of on topic on-list (since they come up so infrequently) rather than using the -owner address as most of the other lists I'm on require.... -- PJH "Statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital" -- Aaron Levenstein
