Originally Posted by tech74

Honestly, I'm getting more and more disappointed every time I see someone say, "I'm not doing your homework for you." and I'll tell you why...

I've been a programmer for many years now. I've seen many horrible text books, on top of equally horrible professors there are out there - and I've even experienced many myself. Yes, there are going to be those students that really don't want to try, and will go to any length to cheat in order to get by.

Guess what? Not surprising that they're going to fail, and there's nothing that can be done about that. They will go elsewhere to get what they're seeking. However, there are those who are honestly stuck - even if it's right out of the gate, and they don't know how to start - their books and professors aren't helping, so they turn to the Internet for guidance. This is what help forums are all about: Help. Many people need examples in order to understand how things work - or at least the pseudo code to help them through the process.

Being a very visual learner myself, learning by example is extremely helpful in turning on the ol' lightbulb - especially when most textbooks out there are so confusing for beginners.

So when people ask for help with something - homework or not - and they're told "Not doing your homework!" That's not helping anyone. Don't think about those who are out there to slack off - there will always be those out there. What you need to do is help those who need to learn by example. Providing code snippets, or even the pseudo code will make a huge difference to those dedicated to learn, but shutting people down entirely is highly discouraging.

Originally Posted by masijade

And those that want to try will actually try first. Then, if they don't succeed on there own, they will usually use Google first. Then, even if they didn't use Google, they will come here and ask how to do something, providing info about the methods they've already tried. When tey come here and simply provide their homework assignment text (many times nearly word for word), they are simply looking to cheat.



And nearly everyone of those "examples" can be found with Google. And those "willing to try", as you say, will usually check there first, and if they don't, or if they don't find what they are looking for, then they come and ask, providing details about what they already tried, and they will get help. Usually just a nudge in the right direction, but never a complete, working, answer to their homework assignment.



Good for you. But "students" almost always think they are under extreme stress (time limit-wise and otherwise (they don't know what real stress is yet, and theirs is normally only caused by their own lack of either planning or discipline, or their own excess of partying), so, if given a complete, working solution, 99%, even of those who want to try) will never look at it, beyond running it to make sure that it does what was requested.



And, as said above, when they have actually shown that they have taken the time to try, they will, usually, get help. So go rant somewhere else, please.

Edit:

P.S. you did realise this thread is nearly three years old, right? If not, you should maybe touch up on your "attention to detail" discipline. It could only help.