Slashdot Mirror
Computer Science Students Outsource Homework
Carl Bialik from the WSJ writes "'If U.S. companies can go online to outsource their programming, why can't U.S. computer students outsource their homework--which, after all, often involves writing sample programs?' Wall Street Journal colummnist Lee Gomes asks. 'Scruples aside, no reason at all. Search for "homework" in the data base of Rent A Coder projects, and you get 1,000 hits. (An impressive number, but still a tiny fraction of all computer students, the vast majority of whom are no doubt an honest and hardworking lot.)' Some of the Rent a Coder users appear to be outsourcing their way through school, at low costs--probably less than $100 per assignment. The posting are, of course, anonymous, but Gomes traces one to a student at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where an instructor tells him that Rent a Coder contributed to a problem of plagiarism last semester."
If I'm good at programming, why shouldn't I be able to SELL my hard work? Isn't that what capitalism is about? Supply and Demand. I have the supply - they have the demand. Now I agree that they should be punished if caught using my code for a project - but I have no problem selling it to them. It might be wise to include some small hidden sig - just that if someone complains I can prove its my work. Hell, I should put a EULA on it - "YOU AGREE NOT TO USE THIS FOR ANY SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS".
Like that there will be more interesting subjetcs than this crap.
"I'm very insulted by your comment. You have made my four years of university sound like a joke and you've also insulted not only my education, but the education of every American and Canadian. I only wish you would have had to go through one PARTIAL course which I've taken..."
Oh, this is cute. You're insulted and yet slashdot in this story and others insults other professions all the time. Guess it doesn't feel so good when your the insulted intead of the insultee.