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From: edwards@uwmacc.UUCP (mark edwards)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Cheating on Programming Assignments
Message-ID: <1374@uwmacc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 14-Apr-87 10:01:05 EST
Article-I.D.: uwmacc.1374
Posted: Tue Apr 14 10:01:05 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 19-Apr-87 00:17:36 EST
References: <248@rruxa.UUCP> <274@sdacs.ucsd.EDU>
Reply-To: edwards@unix.macc.wisc.edu.UUCP (mark edwards)
Organization: UW-Madison Academic Computer Center
Lines: 41

In article <6487@bu-cs.BU.EDU> bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein) writes:
>Wrong. Cheating is cheating. It's like asking if it's ok to be just a
>little bit pregnant.

  Please define cheating. Gee I think I cheated, because I look at 
  other peoples work in books and in online programs to give me a
  good idea on the proper way to write programs. I use "i" and "j"
  as variables in simple loops, I use the Pascal style of indenting
  blocks of my programs, instead of the K&R. 

  I do not think cheating can be that well define. There is some
  fuzzy ground where it is very hard to clearly say yes or no.
  People who copy an entire program cheated. The rest, well, I would
  be hard pressed to judge them.

>
>I would take full action against a student who "only got 1/2" the
>program from someone else. Unpardonable.

  What if they only got the algorithm?

>The only rule of thumb is "did the plagarized work improve the
>student's grade?" If the answer is yes, it is cheating and should be
>punished (of course if the bozo copied the wrong solution, as often
>happens because bozos tend to come in bunches, it's still cheating.)

  What is plagarized work? It seems that scientist plagarize all the 
  time. They use tools, computers and lab devices (that other people
  made and invented), to extend the knowledge of a particular discipline. 
  Is just a direct copy plagarism or are stolen ideas just as good. 

  That gets us to Apple's strong point they can sue anybody and win,
  if they can prove the look and feel of.

  mark

  ( Just some idle ramblings that my fingers typed .....)
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