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On November 18 2010 06:19 FecalFrown wrote:
This guy did an interview on NPR a couple years ago, and came off as a real prick then as well. One the most telling quotes from him was, "Yeah, if they piss me off or anything, I'll sometimes turn them in to their professor".
He clearly has about zero character and said about as much in his interview then and his article now.
You know these people don't actually deserve to have PHDs right? And I thought people were wondering why their post secondary educations were becoming less and less important and more and more expensive...Can you really wonder that now? People that can't even speak english or formulate a decent essay can have a phd because they've got money.
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On November 18 2010 06:40 L0CUST. wrote:Show nested quote +On November 18 2010 06:22 Insanious wrote:
But in the real world will I ever need to know how to calculate the Confidence interval of a statistic by hand, know how to find the NPV of some investment by hand? Hell no, I will use a computer program to do that... but knowing what a CI or NPV means will be important. Too bad we aren't tested on knowing what something means and are tested on how to find something useless. Knowing what something means is worthless. Knowing how to apply that knowledge is useful. Knowing what the result of that application means is worth a decent salary. Figuring out better ways to solve complex problems is worth millions. Take your pick, I find everything college teaches to be over-hyped and meaningless. Reading and internships give a better education than the current system can achieve. On the topic of the ghost writer's legitimacy, 20 pages of writing a day can't be that hard, especially considering the number of years he has been doing it.
My bad... what I meant then what "knowing how to figure out the CI of a statistic, something that SAS the leading statistic program currently used by the Canadian government can do in 1 click of a button is utterly worthless where knowing how that CI relates to the data in order to create a correct analysis = important"
how would I know... working for statistics Canada I NEVER have to do any calculations I learn in Stats 1 or Stats 2 in my work place... ever. Even though 100% of the questions on tests for Statis 1 and 2 are doing the calculations by hand. The theory behind the statics on the other hand I do use in my work place, how ever that is not tested upon in school.
Why? Because forumals = memorization = easy marking. Short/Long answer questions = thought = hard to mark.
Even simpler... In school I learn how to complete a formula but not how to analyze it. In work, I need to know how to analyze it and do not need to know how to complete the calculation.
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Btw to me... understanding something and being able to apply that knowledge is the same thing. If I understand how computer parts fit together, means I can build one. If I have simply memorized the parts that go into a computer, I cannot build one.
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On November 18 2010 04:31 emythrel wrote:Show nested quote +On November 18 2010 04:27 CanucksJC wrote:
Im not surprised that something like this is happening...
I'd gladly pay someone a reasonable amount to have my exams written and im not even that rich.
universities are just too competitive and exhausting these days... so you'd rather not earn your degree? thats more of a reflection on you than your uni. You go to further education to learn and get a better job. If a lawyer had someone else write all their papers, how would they ever be able to do their job? Sorry, but your statement makes me think very badly of you, I have never cheated in my life and have never considered it an option. Not because "its wrong" but because I want to EARN my accolades so that i can feel proud of them.
I think you would be in the minority honestly. I am a 3rd year chemistry major and if I can pay someone to write all my papers for English/History/*insert course name that has nothing do with my degree here* I will probably do it.
Sorry, but a fictional writer from 500 years ago has absolutely nothing to do with me, or my future.
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I think the main things that add to cheating is general education and bad teachers.
I have to take around 90 units unrelated to my major to get a bachelors degree. Of those classes I don't think I gain anything significant from at least half of them. ATM I'm taking a literature analysis class that I just surf on my laptop every class and then turn in my homework that sparknotes aided me with at the end. I feel like if I paid attention I'd just be relearning everything I learned during high school. I spend maybe an hour looking over online notes for midterms which means I will probably get a B, but honestly if I got a C I'd be happy as I deserve an F for how much effort I used, but IMO I shouldn't have had to take the class in the first place.
On the other hand I'm taking a computer science course for my major that I spend probably 10 hours on the biweekly homework and maybe 2 hours studying for quizzes every week. In this class I'd also be happy with a C, not because I don't put in enough effort, but because the teacher is an awful lecturer and doesn't give help during labs. I feel like I'm having to teach myself and get a lot of my code from online, so why am I going to college again?
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So if you're a professor, just have your students write a 2 page essay in class and see if it compares at all to what they've been handing in??
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On November 18 2010 04:23 shindigs wrote:
Thanks to krazymunky on tl who posted it on fb and i stole it lol
i actually stole it off another friend. i knew a couple of people who wrote papers for other people for money while in school. Im not sure if should blame the person who pays for the paper or the person who writes the essay for being unethical
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The guy in the article is a sad story. His claims about "contributing to research" in graduate studies is laughable and his boasts about writing 75 pages in two days go to show he has not understood what University or graduate studies is about. One word: "revision."
This guy churns out tons of crap that he proudly holds up as being "un-edited," when the whole point of research is that it be constantly looked over, reshaped, challenged, edited, and made into a valuable contribution.
I realize he is simply exposing the depth of corruption in the system, but he shows quite clearly that much of this extends from his unwillingness to learn the point of University. The process of writing papers, reading, and being challenged in lectures and seminars is the point.
What makes me sad is how on-board TLers are about cheating. You don't understand the irony that you are cheating yourself, as in the following:
I am a 3rd year chemistry major and if I can someone to write all my papers for English/History/*insert course name that has nothing do with my degree here* I will probably do it.
The point of taking English and History and other stuff is to compliment your degree so you aren't a specialist who has no exposure to other disciplines and ideas before you go sit in a lab all day.
Think of how we all react to 5 year-old kids who are pushed into beauty pageants and made to look inhuman. That is what your brain looks like without breadth.
Sorry, but a fictional writer from 500 years ago has absolutely nothing to do with me, or my future.
How sadly mistaken you are. Shakespeare (whom I am assuming you are referencing) shaped the very language you use to communicate. The Science majors think History, Anthro, Philosophy, Literature, Cultural Studies, and all the other Arts are a load of crap and a waste of time. But all studies of science and math find their roots in the Arts.
Chronological Snobbery is what the above quote is, plain and simple...
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i see more economical solutions out there than this guy. some sites are as low as $49 for an entire paper! this should make my college experience an entertaining one.
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On November 18 2010 07:20 zaldinfox wrote:Show nested quote +Sorry, but a fictional writer from 500 years ago has absolutely nothing to do with me, or my future. How sadly mistaken you are. Shakespeare (whom I am assuming you are referencing) shaped the very language you use to communicate. The Science majors think History, Anthro, Philosophy, Literature, Cultural Studies, and all the other Arts are a load of crap and a waste of time. But all studies of science and math find their roots in the Arts. Chronological Snobbery is what the above quote is, plain and simple...
In my experience, most GE professors don't relate the material to outside its own area so it's hard to take the material seriously when you're not being taught how it relates to your field.
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I don't really know how much to believe from that article.
A few hours after I had agreed to write the paper, I received the following e-mail: "sending sorces for ur to use thanx."
I did not reply immediately. One hour later, I received another message:
"did u get the sorce I send
please where you are now?
Desprit to pass spring projict"
That is so not a real quote from the student, no way.
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On November 18 2010 04:28 emythrel wrote:Show nested quote +[B]On November 18 2010 04:23 shindigs wrote: The interesting part to me is that this extends even to the levels of PhD thesises (thesi?) I believe the plural is the same as the singular, i can't remember off the top of my head. This stuff has been happening for years and years, friends doing homework for each other, scholars being paid to "correct" papers (they usually just re-write it for you) and directly stealing old papers. Unfortunately, most adjudicators (the people who mark papers) don't have an opportunity to read other materials from the student and thus have no way to check whether the paper was written by the student or ghost written. It is the responsibility of the teacher to read over the papers and check they were written by the student, and when you have 50 students papers to read... thats hard to do.
I believe the plural is theses.
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This is really crazy. I'm about to head off to college with the intent to learn, and it really irks me that people are using university as a stepping stone that they can just pay their way through. The idea that some of the people we label as the most intelligent and well-educated could have gotten there illegitimately.
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On November 18 2010 07:20 zaldinfox wrote:The guy in the article is a sad story. His claims about "contributing to research" in graduate studies is laughable and his boasts about writing 75 pages in two days go to show he has not understood what University or graduate studies is about. One word: "revision." This guy churns out tons of crap that he proudly holds up as being "un-edited," when the whole point of research is that it be constantly looked over, reshaped, challenged, edited, and made into a valuable contribution. I realize he is simply exposing the depth of corruption in the system, but he shows quite clearly that much of this extends from his unwillingness to learn the point of University. The process of writing papers, reading, and being challenged in lectures and seminars is the point. What makes me sad is how on-board TLers are about cheating. You don't understand the irony that you are cheating yourself, as in the following: Show nested quote + I am a 3rd year chemistry major and if I can someone to write all my papers for English/History/*insert course name that has nothing do with my degree here* I will probably do it. The point of taking English and History and other stuff is to compliment your degree so you aren't a specialist who has no exposure to other disciplines and ideas before you go sit in a lab all day. Think of how we all react to 5 year-old kids who are pushed into beauty pageants and made to look inhuman. That is what your brain looks like without breadth. Show nested quote +Sorry, but a fictional writer from 500 years ago has absolutely nothing to do with me, or my future. How sadly mistaken you are. Shakespeare (whom I am assuming you are referencing) shaped the very language you use to communicate. The Science majors think History, Anthro, Philosophy, Literature, Cultural Studies, and all the other Arts are a load of crap and a waste of time. But all studies of science and math find their roots in the Arts. Chronological Snobbery is what the above quote is, plain and simple...
Breadth isn't the only thing a brain needs; a good brain needs more depth than breadth. The amount of knowledge one knows is bolstered from grade 1 to year 2 of college. This doesn't produce much respect from other intellectuals. Depth, which is built from year 3 of college and onwards is what sets apart people like Ben Carson from normal surgeons. I think the fact that place so much respect to these people who are supposedly "knowledgeable" in their respective fields is saddening.
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On November 18 2010 07:38 Jonoman92 wrote:I don't really know how much to believe from that article. Show nested quote +
A few hours after I had agreed to write the paper, I received the following e-mail: "sending sorces for ur to use thanx."
I did not reply immediately. One hour later, I received another message:
"did u get the sorce I send
please where you are now?
Desprit to pass spring projict"
That is so not a real quote from the student, no way.
You would be suprised. Also he said most of the people he is talking about are either ESL, so english is very hard for them. Or they are just stupid and well english is hard for them too.
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On November 18 2010 07:55 Insanious wrote:Show nested quote +On November 18 2010 07:38 Jonoman92 wrote:I don't really know how much to believe from that article.
A few hours after I had agreed to write the paper, I received the following e-mail: "sending sorces for ur to use thanx."
I did not reply immediately. One hour later, I received another message:
"did u get the sorce I send
please where you are now?
Desprit to pass spring projict"
That is so not a real quote from the student, no way. You would be suprised. Also he said most of the people he is talking about are either ESL, so english is very hard for them. Or they are just stupid and well english is hard for them too.
yeah either they're ESL or just someone typing really quickly.
I have friends who cannot spell for their lives when they type quickly or chat on AIM/MSN.
and since its not to the professor I dont think they're going to pay attention to the correct spelling or grammar in their letters.
I agree that taking breadth classes makes your learning diverse,but as a recent graduate, I do not think any of my electives/GEs helped me at all (except for grade boosting lol)
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How convenient it is to blame "the system". It's equal parts education's shortcomings and the students' shortcomings.
In my opinion, it's all of culture itself that makes important things that are not a part of education.
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It doesn't seem like a that hard job once you have done it a few years. You should have the general knowledge of the most common courses by that point. It actually seems like a fun job, something I would probably like to work as. Ethically it is wrong and I wouldn't buy the service since I want to learn the things myself, but as a job it seems like it would suit my tastes.
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On November 18 2010 05:01 Amber[LighT] wrote:Show nested quote +On November 18 2010 04:59 orgolove wrote:
eh, I bet I can do this shit too, but 66k a year isn't much. -_- It's enough to live off of for doing little work. I can't believe people are so lazy that they can't even write their own essays.
I find it really hard to believe that you've never felt like just not writing a paper and doing something more useful with your time (like starcraft duhhh)
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This was a great read, whoever this academic hitman is, what a legend!
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EPT
