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."

Comments

Disgusting!

[Average_Joe_Sixpack]

Why in the old days we had to post the problems on USENET and hope not to get *plonked*! Kids today are sooo spoiled.

great idea!

[pohl]

I want to become a really great guitarist. Maybe I can hire someone else to practice all those tedious scales, arpeggios, and chords. When they're done, I'll be able to play like Steve Vai!

Saw this on Elance too

[zjbs14]

I saw an Elance posting once for an obvious CS student project. Funny thing was that I recognized the professor's name as being from my alma mater, so I sent him an email with the project link.

Th better part was that the student also used his real name in the listing.

Re:Why bother?

[19061969]

They're aiming for middle management.

Wrong Major, obviously

[Lead Butthead]

It's fairly clear that particular person should've majored in Business Administration, not Computer Science.

Re:Likely not a problem overall

[genner]

Ok you had me until you said astronomy majors.
It's not like there out for the money.

Obligatory Dilbert quote:

Kid:What's a black hole?
Planetarium worker:Well my career would be one example.

good experience

[www.sorehands.com]

Outsourcing your homework is good experience for middle management. That way, when they get their job, they have experience in outsourcing programming and getting poor quality code back.

Re:good experience

[pete6677]

Outsourcing a coding assignment should be a requirement of any MIS / MBA program, in order to give students some real-world applicable experience.

Re:good experience

[MacroRex]

don't waste resources on making stuff better than it needs to be; nobody's going to notice

You work for Microsoft, right?

Re:good experience

[roman_mir]

If you are aiming at middle management, outsource your comsci homework. If you are aiming at top level management, CEOs, CFOs, outsource your /. comments.

I tried this once

[bLindmOnkey]

For a personal experience paper I hired this guy who emailed me a paper titled "the life of an underpaid outsourced homework slave" That didn't work so well.

Re:Why bother?

[rts008]

Don't worry, M$ or the **AA will probably try to recruit him!

If students are plagarizing solutions...

[Maskull]

...then it's a sign that you're not teaching an obscure enough programming language. Using C++ is like asking the students to cheat. You want to require all answers in Unicon, or Lambda Prolog, or (worst of all) POPLOG-11.

Re:If that's your approach...

[Tablizer]

why not be a buisness major instead?.... is easier to fake your way through

They don't call it "faking", they call it "marketing".

Likely not a problem overall-Illusions

[Anonymous Coward]

"Many, many, *many* are in it for the money, or because people keep telling them computers are the place to be. "

Good thing we have outsourcing to cure that particular illusion.