Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!snorkelwacker!spdcc!merk!alliant!linus!nixbur!nixpbe!peun11!josef From: mollers.pad@nixpbe.uucp (Moellers) Newsgroups: comp.graphics Subject: Re: Commonly asked questions, homework on the net, etc. Message-ID: <1369@nixpbe.UUCP> Date: 22 Mar 90 12:28:09 GMT References: Sender: news@nixpbe.UUCP Lines: 49 Hi, Although this might lead to a fundamental discussion on the merits and the usage of the net, I'd like to give my own 5 cents worth: 1) As far as the question of "doing homework using the net" is concerned: I agree that it is wrong to get Your information from the net an claim it to be yours but ... If You do so, You'll risk being caught in the act. I myself have tried to use all sources of information available during study (admittedly not always with reference), so why blame someone else! BTW Where do You want to put the border between "work" and "plagiate" (sp?): If I go into the library and take ACMs Computing Surveys to get all the references I need, is that wrong (it's easy!). Perhaps, maybe someone will use the time saved thereby to investigate the problem further and deeper than is possible when leafing through reference lists. As far as I am concerned, if someone comes to me and sais "Can You give me some leads on this subject", I'll give it to him/her. 2) The question about questions: I was told once that a "discussion" is a "verbal communication intended to solve a problem". But then, in order to start a discussion, someone has to post the problem. Furthermore, in newsgroups like this, there are a lot of people on one end of the "knowledge line", i.e. the bottom one, and a few on the other end, i.e. the top (jeff poskanzler, et al). I admit, it's easier to just type ":post" and get the question off onto the net for others to answer, rather than go down to our library and find the solution myself, but that's what I usually do: lift my head and throw the question at whoever I see first (my terminal B-{). If the persion in question can't answer it (or won't), sigh! down we go! Perhaps we will have to live with the law of "large numbers": we need many questions to get some very interesting ones. On the other hand, we can, of course, bar these newsgroups to all people with a less than average background to avoid "frequently asked qustions" and get down to the more intersting stuff! With both points above: If you oppose to get involved with them, leave them out. I, for myself, will continue to answer questions like - Where can I find information about windowing systems? - How do I divide two floating point numbers fast? if I can (B-{)! | Josef Moellers | c/o Nixdorf Computer AG | | USA: mollers.pad@nixbur.uucp | Abt. PXD-S21 | | !USA: mollers.pad@nixbur.uucp | Pontanusstr | | Phone: (+49) 5251 146245 | D-4790 Paderborn |