It seems to be that time of year when lots of students are on forums trying to persuade people to do their homework for them. Since I’ve found difficulty in finding good quality software developers in the past there is no way I’m going to contribute to producing any more debased lazy Muppets claiming to be programmers. The rules of the forums I frequent most often are very simple, and I’d imagine that most forums will have the same set of rules. Basically the person requesting help has to show what they’ve done already then they can expect to get advice on how to fix the problem. If the question comes in and it is just a set of questions with a plea that their homework assignment is due the next day then they are likely to feel the wrath of several professional software developers that have most likely had to clean up the excrement left by previous generations of these inattentive indolent laggards.
I would like to make it perfectly clear for any student that is genuinely struggling with an assignment that forums are an excellent place to seek help. However, you must show that you’ve made an attempt yourself, that you’ve attempted to research the topic and that you are genuinely seeking help and not just a free ride. If you are willing to work through the problem yourself (with some assistance from folks on forums) then you will attain a greater understanding and you are more likely to reach that AHA! moment where everything clicks in to place in your mind. And what a joy that feeling is!
The Blog of Colin Mackay 