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A Teacher Asking Students To Destroy Notes?

zwei2stein writes "I found this question with far-reaching implications in the off-topic section of a forum I frequent: 'My economics teacher is forcing us to give up all of our work for the semester. Every page of notes and paper must be turned over to her to be destroyed to prevent future students from copying it. My binder was in my backpack, and she went into my backpack to take it. Is that legal?' Besides the issue with private property invasion, which was the trigger of that post, there is much more important question: Can a teacher ask a student not to retain knowledge? How does IP law relate to teaching and sharing knowledge? Whose property are those notes?"

27 of 931 comments (clear)

  1. Psh Economics by Greyfox · · Score: 4, Funny

    Not like you're going to use anything taught in there after that class anyway...

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  2. Re:WRONG by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    theft is a crime, and illegal

    A surprising number of crimes are illegal.
    ;-)

  3. Re:File a complaints. by feepness · · Score: 5, Funny

    Write down the event now, while it's still fresh.

    And make sure to not let anyone steal it!

  4. I would. by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 4, Funny

    If someone is stealing from me, I have every right (in my state, anyway) to prevent that theft, with "reasonable" violence if need be.

    My state law specifically states that I have the right to defend myself, other people, and my property with a "reasonable" amount of force. And by damned, I would do exactly that. A punch in the nose is more than reasonable for a semester's worth of lecture notes.

    If recent police action is any indication, then it would be "reasonable" for me to taze her and beat her with nightsticks as well! After all, standards are standards.

  5. What the? by Oyume · · Score: 3, Funny

    What the heck? I WISH my students would take notes in class!

  6. Re:Easy solutions by mcbridematt · · Score: 5, Funny

    So, whats the name of this institution so we can fire up the traditional internet educational vigilante mob?

  7. Why bother? by quenda · · Score: 5, Funny

    In economics, the exam questions are the same every year. They just change the answers.

    1. Re:Why bother? by marxz · · Score: 5, Funny

      In economics, the exam questions are the same every year. They just change the answers.

      classic ... and even if not true should be... Q1: "is sub prime lending viable as a business model?" 2007 A: yes 2008 A:um maybe, maybe not. 2009 A: no

    2. Re:Why bother? by dkleinsc · · Score: 3, Funny

      In other words, if you took all the economists in the world and laid them end to end, they still couldn't reach a conclusion.

      --
      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  8. Re:Notes? by skreeech · · Score: 3, Funny

    Then the professors own the work of average students!

    --
    [20:36] wwwdot/.dotorg
  9. Re:File a police report _now_. by sqldr · · Score: 5, Funny

    I pick YOU UP. I unzip YOUR PANTS. I roughly jam my cock up your ass. As the students are watching I sodomize you for several minutes until I give my "O" face to the class.

    Oh stop it.. you're turning me on

    --
    I wrote my first program at the age of six, and I still can't work out how this website works.
  10. Re:Notes? by ushering05401 · · Score: 1, Funny

    First off, your comment doesn't seem to address the issue that the parent raised, that fighting cheating and plagiarism is the thrust of this lunacy.

    I suggested that if cheating or plagiarism was the target then collecting the notes would not get the job done because students who would do it in the first place would make a copy of the notes anyhow.

    So then I get to the end of your rant about something unrelated to what is being discussed to find that Europeans are apparently going around vomiting when they hear jingoistic BS.

    These European friends of yours, they are engaging in rabidly codependent behavior. Life is too short and they should not sacrifice their health for the sake of America when America is not willing to reciprocate this sick level of devotion. Hell, I ain't puking my guts out any time some ignorant piece of euro trash want to run their mouth... But then, as a member of the freest country on earth I am free to make that decision.

  11. Re:NO by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Better yet, make N photo copies. When she goes into your bag hand her all your notes. Then pull out another one and say "Or would you rather have this copy".

    Repeat until you reach N-1. (With N back at your apartment).

  12. Re:NO by __aaklbk2114 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Repeat until you reach N-1. (With N back at your apartment).

    Hot for teacher?

  13. Re:NO by aliquis · · Score: 2, Funny

    Atleast you don't if the old classes notes has been burned.

    Which I don't understand how it's supposed to work, is it that hard to take a copy of them before turning them in? :D

    Retarded teacher, and I would never give up my material.

    What's next? Asking for us to turn in cheat sheets?

  14. Re:Notes? by xaxa · · Score: 3, Funny

    But then, as a member of the freest country on earth I am free to make that decision.

    It's not often I laugh out loud at something on Slashdot. Thanks!

  15. Re:The school owns it. by TheP4st · · Score: 2, Funny
    --
    "I have downloaded hundreds and hundreds of records, why would I care if somebody downloads ours?" Robin Pecknold
  16. Re:Context by pelrun · · Score: 2, Funny

    Heh - don't you know that whenever someone fails to indicate their location, 99% of the time they're in the US?

  17. Re:Notes? by kperson · · Score: 5, Funny

    Besides that, does that article give you a clue why Europeans are either laughing their heads off or throwing up when Americans claim they live in the "freeest of all countries"?

    That's why I hate Europe. Heads popping off all the time, and vomit everywhere.

  18. Re:Notes? by lazlo · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know, it would be kind of amusing to offer a trade. When the teacher asks for the notes, say "I will trade you my notes for a signed statement affirming your assertion that nothing you have taught any of your students will ever be of use to any of them for the rest of their lives and that your entire professional career has been a meaningless sham. If you want to add an addendum about how you are a charlatan and scam artist, you are free to do so."

    --
    Pound! Bang! Bin! Bash! is this a shell script or a Batman comic?
  19. Re:IANAL, but... by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 2, Funny

    If they didn't like this they could retain ownership of their lectures... and would be fired.

    What about tenure???

  20. Re:Notes? by dcollins · · Score: 1, Funny

    Oh, you crazy mathematicians with your objective standards for truth.

    --
    We know where leadership by an anti-intellectual "strongman" who scapegoats minorities and likes boisterous rallies goes
  21. Re:File a police report _now_. by EdIII · · Score: 2, Funny

    I pick YOU UP. I unzip YOUR PANTS. I roughly jam my cock up your ass. As the students are watching I sodomize you for several minutes until I give my "O" face to the class.

    Oh stop it.. you're turning me on

    Ooooh. I think somebody has the potential to get in A in the class :)

  22. Re:NO by roystgnr · · Score: 4, Funny

    For extra credit, do it in the style of Phil Hartman's "Newsradio" character:

    Hand over a copy.
    "Here's one you can take right now!"
    And another copy.
    "This one you can tear up later."
    Put another on her desk.
    "Here's one for the Hamptons."
    Pull out another copy.
    "This one I like. I keep."
    Throw another copy to the floor.
    "This one displeases me."

  23. Re:Notes? by uniquegeek · · Score: 2, Funny

    Use "The dog ate them" and try to keep a straight face. Even better smirk, and look directly at them.

  24. Re:Teacher is too lazy to change tests etc. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Just FYI, Mythbusters proved you can actually make and fly a lead balloon.

  25. Re: Your sig by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    How many people can read hex if only you and dead people can read hex?

    If every dead person can read hex, then the answer is several millions (however many people have died, plus 1). However, your question is non-sequitorious, because many, many living people can read hex, at least 2B that I know of personally (or maybe it's not 2B; that is the question).