[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by weiming

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?

Teachers can usually tell, weiming. Please remember, this is an ask a "teacher" forum. Being a native speaker doesn't buy you the experience and/or knowledge it takes to know how to recognize when a learner is submitting graded work. Obviously, you agree. You aren't sure what is and what is not a homework-related assignment.

Originally Posted by weiming

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

Correct. In post #3, the poster tells us it's from her exam and that she hopes she gets a good grade.

Originally Posted by weiming

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

If it doesn't look like an assignment, and if the poster doesn't say that it's an assignment, then we have no other choice but to give the poster the benefit of the doubt.

Originally Posted by weiming

"letter of the law"

There are no "laws" here, weiming. You assume too much.

Originally Posted by weiming

... 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.

The forum rules are there, weiming. You either failed to read them or chose to ignore them. You are not a teacher and yet you chose to post as if you were a teacher. There's no law against fraud here, weiming.

Originally Posted by weiming

I also feel my tone should not be misconstrued, ...

Well, language holds power, weiming; if you don't choose your words carefully, they most likley will offend someone. If you weren't aware of that then, you should be aware of that now. Ironically, there is more to teaching than knowing the rules.

That you are confused about how you should respond to a given post is of no surprise, at least to me. That the forum rules are vague, to you, isn't a cause, weiming, it's a symptom. Of course you are confused--you are neither experienced in moderating nor in teaching. If you were, you wouldn't be asking us how to answer questions.


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We should meet. I also live in Shanghai, in Pudong.