Were the boards here ever to acquire a reputation for doing assignments for students, its participants would be considered no better than those sites which advertise the completion of assignments, essays and such for money, and all the sillier, as they're not even getting paid for it.
Also from the standpoint of pure education, it is the objective to encourage thought and investigation in the student of any age, and not simply dole out unexplained answers, the fish-giving equivalent of the teaching world.
And not the least, from the standpoint of the morality and general rules laid down by the founders and moderators of these boards, everyone posting on them in any capacity should without question (well perhaps with one or two questions) adhere to, if not respect the policy of not doing homework or answering test questions.
However I do seem to have one or two reservations which I will list in order of greivance as I see them.
(1)
Advertising the rule:
If you have a rule, its better to tell people about it before they can break it.
It is the case that anyone responding as a teacher or as not be required to ignore a question that is obviously a test or homework assignment intended to be completed by the very student asking it, and perhaps even to inform her or him of this rule, or at the very least ask that the question be rephrased in such a way that it can be consicenably answered.
As that is the case I feel this rule should be advertised everywhere and in a very obvious manner so that anyone visiting the boards and posing a question or posting and answer will invariably see it at least once and preferably more than once in large, bright lettering. As it is, one can go through the entire arc of posting without once being introduced to the rule.
Ignorance of the "law" is no defence indeed, but then this doesn't prevent the average site from advertising warnings on everything from security of information to content. I feel the boards should do the same especially when there is constant evidence that posters on either side of a question have, or can claim to have ignorance of this rule.
Suggested areas for placing a highly visible advertisement of the aforementioned rule:
On the leftmost list of forums, specifically under "Ask a Teacher!"
On the introduction to the forums "Home>English forums (perhaps in bold, like the word "free")
At the top of every "Post new Thread" dialogue
Of course in reflection, there is
one problem with stating openly "Homework related and Test questions will not be answered", there might be a meteoric decline in questions. That consideration bears no weight however, as the brand of "double standard" is even less bearable than that of "cheater helpers". Still, we must ask ourselves:
(2)
What is a "homework/test question, and how can it be recognised?
As well meaning as any respondent to a question may be, can she or he claim to
really know if a question is directly related to homework or test assignment?
This post (which has had posts deleted from it) was recently locked for violation of the rule(s) in question.
http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/as...-provided.html
But this one wasn't, even though it could easily be one of several questions on a sheet of paper given to a student (the poster has not disavowed this).
http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/fr...ve-having.html
Because of its questionably different nature, or simply thanks to clever wording on the part of a twelve year old (the world may never know), this post was not either.
http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/as...tructions.html
And yet regardless of whether the parents are asking, or the child is asking, it technically violates the "letter of the law". In their defence, the moderator and senior member who replied believe(d) themselves to be helping responsible adults, not a lazy child.
In this following case, the reasoning (with which I agree) of the moderator seems to be that the question has already been answered and he is merely helping the student to understand the answer (frying a man's fish I suppose, rather than giving him one). But what if the student
wasn't sure of the answer, and only claimed to be?
http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/47171-i-have-question.html
In the first thread mentioned, the student has clearly completed the assignment (and worked hard on it as most of the answers are correct), the only error comes in form of a mispelling of one word, one
letter, perhaps even a typo.
Suppose the student has narrowed it down but doesn't know if two answers need to be swapped with each other, if the were to say "I know with absolute certainty that these are the answers, and someone were to point out that an unspecified one is wrong wouldn't that be "helping"?
In defense of myself, I am not speaking against these cases (I think they were exceptionally helpful), but agains the rule itself, which I feel needs revision or in the least, more specific deliniation.
And so, as I said before, if I find myself visiting a country where it is criminal to say...import chewing gum, or make eye contact with a woman, it is my duty and burden to be aware of this and observe the law, however if it were not advertised by the travel agency sending me there, the customs agent receiving my baggage and a posted sign leaving the airport, I'm sure everyone could appreciate my chagrin on being "locked up", not unlike a certain recent thread.
I also feel my tone should not be misconstrued, I write in perfect support of the ideals with which the rule in question is set up, but at the same time call the rule makers to accurately define the rule, sufficiently advertise it and be consistent in applying it, as should be the case with any rule.