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Admin
It's amazing how rampant this is in most colleges. I remember one time seeing some students get caught.
A professor once announced "3 of your copied your code off the internet. 2 of those 3 will be expelled at the end of the semester. I'll let you know who you are then."
Man, those students were pissed. they finished the semester thinking one of them might not get in trouble, then all 3 got expelled for cheating.
Admin
Instead of taking it down, it would be more amusing if he forwarded those emails to a newsgroup (or web site) for anyone who wanted to "help" the requesters.
Admin
Perhaps they're looking for a sub-sub-subcontractor? ;-)
Admin
[quote user="dpm]I was once accused by a professor of designing and coding someone else's project --- a very attractive girl --- in exchange for sex.
She was beautiful, I knew how do do it. She got an A, I received a 'C'. Not even a 'Thank you'. [/quote]
That does sound a little harsh. I don't like the while idea of grading sex anyway, but at least she could have given you a gentleman's B-.
Admin
Admin
The real WTF is that he didnt learn in class what he needed in order to complete the assignment. Or did he never bother showing up for the lectures?
Admin
The real WTF is that he wrote his email on his website.
Admin
Admin
Uh, who said it was only CS students? This is a web site about computer programming, so, surprise surprise, it has postings about computer programming. Did you expect it to have postings about people cheating at veterinary school?
Admin
Admin
The problem is we weren't shown the entire assignment. What we were shown does say that you should "simulate" stacks and queues, but then it goes on to show 2D pictures of the operations. Also, how are you supposed to show the "clear" operation? Just draw a blank screen?
I'm pretty sure everyone here connected the dots between the assignment and the author being a Graphics Programmer and we were just making jokes about the limited spec we were shown.
Admin
Admin
I once did a Google search on a subject I was researching at the time and turned up an article that sounded very familiar. Yes indeed, it was the first few paragraphs of an article that I had written. It turned out to be one of those web sites that sell pre-written term papers -- "for research purposes only" of course. (I'm sure they would be shocked to learn that some of their customers were simply printing them out and turning them in as their own work. I'll bet that if they knew that was happening, they'd promptly take steps to put a stop to it.) Anyway, they show you the first few paragraphs of a paper for free; if you want the rest you have to pay. Well, I wasn't going to pay to find out if this was, in fact, simply an article of mine reposted, or what. But if it was ... I'm thinking that I'm not sure if I should be complimented that these folks thought that something I had written was good enough to be worth selling for exorbitant prices, or if I should be mad that I'm not getting a cut of the money.
Admin
You're absolutely right, it is the sub-optimal solution to GETTING a job, but maybe not keeping a job. Or better yet, if we learn the material, we will enjoy our jobs more because we are applying things we have learned. If we never learn the material, we might as well be a doorstop. The challenge is there for our benefit, not for us to just sidestep it or try to cheat.
Admin
Admin
They are paying for the piece of paper. They don't care if they actually learn anything, they just want to be a "college graduate".
In some cases getting the piece of paper is all that matters. I took a ton of completely useless classes in college. And I mean COMPLETELY useless. But I had to jump through the hoops for my degree.
On the flip side, I also took 3 or 4 classes that I found incredibly useful and learned a lot from. I think that ratio is the real WTF and it's that ratio that makes (some) people willing to pay for people to do their homework.
On the other hand, some people are just dishonest shrug
Admin
Admin
This beautiful student you speak of. Was she Irish ?
Admin
Nicely done.
Admin
transform_data_to_4x4_matrix(); glLoadMatrix(...); glPushMatrix();
...
glPopMatrix(); glGetFloatv(GL_MODELVIEW_MATRIX, ...); trasnform_4x4_matrix_to_data();
Admin
This is why I never joined any software development forums. Every time I found one as a result of a Google search, it was just some a$$hole posting his block of code and asking everyone to fix it for him. Brillant!
If you want to see the worst of this, go look at some VBA forums. They're the worst.
What irks me is when a top Google result consists of a forum post of only the question, but no answers. After years of looking up tiny details I've got a precious bookmarks folder of quality results. Most of them are specific articles about the problem. Few if any are legitimate postings involving a question and a series of answers.
That's a shame because I'd like to participate in a developer's forum. I guess this site sort of fits the bill. We enjoy topics related to what we do, minus any annoying posts asking for code solutions. And if there are any, they're an article in and of themselves like this one. Woot.
Admin
Sun's Java forum are full of this sort of thing as well, unfortunately. A tactic that some of the regulars thought up was asking them for their university, lecturer name and course "to put on the header", and once they were provided, Google their lecturer and email them with a link to the thread.
Admin
I can't help but think that there's some sort of Nigerian scam angle to this...
Maybe people who respond to requests such as this are more likely targets for scamming? Maybe the compensation for work will be in the form of a $1000 cashier's check of which $850 needs to be returned?
Surely, a basic college coding project is not worth $300.
Admin
This is also common outside of academia. Many moons ago I worked at a small 68000 assembler software shop. The support guys got a lot of calls from embedded systems developers basically trying to get us to write their code for them in the guise of "support". It got so bad that they passed around a monthly list of support-banned customers, similar to a convenience store putting up pictures of bad checks.
Admin
Depends... How bad do you want to pass ? 300 seems kinda low if he passes the semester for it. Not to mention time is money, so if you retake the course, its gonna cost more than 300 (think room and board). Just toughen up and do the work like a real programmer.
Admin
TRWTF is that he took the materials down, instead of throwing out a honey pot.
"CS Students: If you really need the source code to complete an assignment and you don't care if you learn anything or not, click here for the files" -> goatse.zip
Admin
Just email him a bare skeleton with the functions declared. Let him fill in the logic and graphic calls. Tell him it works on your end. It compiles, so its gotta work ;)
Admin
glPushMatrix(); glPopMatrix();
Admin
Admin
I wanted to say this. Curse you!
Admin
Doesn't the university have an intranet that only students can log in to? That would mean the students couldn't access the notes, etc, from home, of course, but that would be a small price to pay, surely?
Admin
That's no fun - there are lots of useful courses full of notes that I can get at with google, and needing a password to read the class notes would reduce this a lot.
They just want a grade and it worked for them in high school... They probably haven't realized that this will fail spectacularly in the working world.
Admin
Admin
People on a full scholarship are less likely to cheat. Most scholarships are for academic performance. These students want to learn.
Admin
Ha! That'd be brilliant.
Admin
#include <stack> #include <queue>
Tadaaa!
Admin
Admin
Admin
Education is the only thing for which the consumer does not want to extract the full value of their purchase.
Admin
A colleague of my wife accidentally let slip that, years before, their boss actually paid him thousands of dollars to take his courses for him and get him his MBA. The way she describes this guy it appears par for the course. Luckily, he couldn't hide his incompetence for too long and he was eventually moved aside (but not fired, unfortunately) and she got his job.
Admin
Wow two idiots in one. The boss of course, and the guy that took the course for him. If your going to do the work, why not get the MBA for yourself? I'm sure the final payoff would be much higher.
Admin
<sarcasm>Ha that assignment is to easy, I'd just pop it in a webbrowser and then use some type of interface to javascrit and use the push() and pop() or shift() and unshift().
For the second one you could use push() and unshift() or shift() and pop() </sarcasm>
Admin
(I know you were just slurping the robot, but I had to post)
Admin
A funny WTF but a true one. I was doing an intro to IT (read Certificate 4- australia). Now there would be some (not all) international students that would canvas their own class (and then others) for people wanting to make $200AUD on a project that would take 2 hours to complete for a passing grade. And they only wanted these very basic courses. Though I do remember one that attempted uni...that one stalked the library for friendly faces she could ask for help...
Admin
Admin
Could someone compose a witty and appropriate comment for this article and send it to me? Thanks in advance.
Admin
I disagree. It's possible that students are being trained to understand that it's not how good your work is, it's that your work is turned in on time and under budget. Good training for the real world IMHO, where all that matters is the bottom line. Code is crap? "Don't worry about it, we have an entire department of liars to cover for you. We call it Marketing."
On another topic, it's not shocking that it's more and more common for people to buy their way through their bachelor's degree, and get away with it. Having a BS/BA these days is like having a high school diploma about 30 years ago, and little is expected of these degree holders beyond showing up on time and not complaining when management treats them like disposable diapers. Why bother to actually learn something when you're just marking time before entering the sausage factory?
Yes, I'm a little bitter. Suffice it to say I know of what I speak.
Admin
I'd email your comment right back at you but I don't have you email address. Well played.
Admin
The RealWTF in your comment is that you're talking about a very a ttractive girl studying CS :p
Admin
Wow! Small world, isn't it?
I'll leave you two to get reacquainted. I'm sure you've got lots to catch up on!