This is slightly off-topic, but academic misconduct is a large problem that Universities must deal with. As a college student, I am fully aware of the problems, but unfortunately, I have no real solutions to offer.
Let me start off by saying that I believe cheating is too generalized of a term. I prefer to differentiate the word cheating into two distinct branches: academic misconduct, and academic dishonesty. Almost all students, at some point in their collegiate career, commit academic misconduct. For example, many of the following fall under academic misconduct depending on the professor or the course: comparing solutions with other students, working together in groups on an assignment, assistanting other students in debugging programs or circuits, using exams and assignments from previous semesters to study, or using instructor's solutions manuals.
I myself compare solutions with other students, but only after completing the problem on my own. I often work with other students, simply because I find that it is easier to learn when a group of dedicated students support each other. Everyone learns differently. But I believe that if a students does these things in a sincere effort to learn the material, to maintain academic integrity, then it is certainly excusable. I think that students often forget that the struggle of mastering a topic is as important, if not more important, than the final answer obtained.
And this leads to the issue academic dishonesty, which to me, is the most disheartening form of cheating. In short, academic dishonesty is claiming work as your own when it is not. This form of cheating gives students an unfair advantage over other students. And sadly, I see this all the time. For instance, many experiments in Microelectronic Circuits Lab take anywhere from ten to fifteen to hours to complete. I have seen students simply copy data from students who took the class in previous semesters, and even go as far as to turn in their reports verbatim! And to think that these people will one day have the same degree as me! Perhaps more disturbing, last semester I was offered monetary payment to do a student's programming homework for Communication Networks. I refused, but I think the experience forever instilled a certain hatred in the University academic process.
I think that despite its problem, this is one the reasons that I support automated cheating detection systems, as long as the results are then verified by a professor or instructor. Cheating is so rampant that is difficult to prosecute all but the most obvious of cases; and these are typically failing students anyway. It is the students who make straight As as result of academic dishonesty who are the most difficult ones to catch. And unfortunately, the latter kind is all too common. I hope that one day things will change, but until then, everyday is a constant reminder that dishonest students will graduate with me when I graduate next semester.
Are you sure that you can compare the speed of GPU and CPU?
Professor Pat Hanrahan, of Stanford University, made a stab at answering this question in his presentation 'Why is Graphics Hardware so Fast?'. The first half of the presentation focuses on this question, while the second half of the presentation covers programming languages that utilitize this hardware. Specifically, the Stanford Real-Time Shading Language (RTSL) and Brook are discussed. Overall, it's a good presentation that should get you up to speed with the basics of what's happening in this area of research.
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This certainly gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'flower power'!
This is slightly off-topic, but academic misconduct is a large problem that Universities must deal with. As a college student, I am fully aware of the problems, but unfortunately, I have no real solutions to offer.
Let me start off by saying that I believe cheating is too generalized of a term. I prefer to differentiate the word cheating into two distinct branches: academic misconduct, and academic dishonesty. Almost all students, at some point in their collegiate career, commit academic misconduct. For example, many of the following fall under academic misconduct depending on the professor or the course: comparing solutions with other students, working together in groups on an assignment, assistanting other students in debugging programs or circuits, using exams and assignments from previous semesters to study, or using instructor's solutions manuals.
I myself compare solutions with other students, but only after completing the problem on my own. I often work with other students, simply because I find that it is easier to learn when a group of dedicated students support each other. Everyone learns differently. But I believe that if a students does these things in a sincere effort to learn the material, to maintain academic integrity, then it is certainly excusable. I think that students often forget that the struggle of mastering a topic is as important, if not more important, than the final answer obtained.
And this leads to the issue academic dishonesty, which to me, is the most disheartening form of cheating. In short, academic dishonesty is claiming work as your own when it is not. This form of cheating gives students an unfair advantage over other students. And sadly, I see this all the time. For instance, many experiments in Microelectronic Circuits Lab take anywhere from ten to fifteen to hours to complete. I have seen students simply copy data from students who took the class in previous semesters, and even go as far as to turn in their reports verbatim! And to think that these people will one day have the same degree as me! Perhaps more disturbing, last semester I was offered monetary payment to do a student's programming homework for Communication Networks. I refused, but I think the experience forever instilled a certain hatred in the University academic process.
I think that despite its problem, this is one the reasons that I support automated cheating detection systems, as long as the results are then verified by a professor or instructor. Cheating is so rampant that is difficult to prosecute all but the most obvious of cases; and these are typically failing students anyway. It is the students who make straight As as result of academic dishonesty who are the most difficult ones to catch. And unfortunately, the latter kind is all too common. I hope that one day things will change, but until then, everyday is a constant reminder that dishonest students will graduate with me when I graduate next semester.
Are you sure that you can compare the speed of GPU and CPU?
Professor Pat Hanrahan, of Stanford University, made a stab at answering this question in his presentation 'Why is Graphics Hardware so Fast?'. The first half of the presentation focuses on this question, while the second half of the presentation covers programming languages that utilitize this hardware. Specifically, the Stanford Real-Time Shading Language (RTSL) and Brook are discussed. Overall, it's a good presentation that should get you up to speed with the basics of what's happening in this area of research.
Actually, take a look at something like newzbin, which makes it easy to find out information on newsgroup releases.
While not well known, Maxis did in fact make a network version of SimCity called SimCity 2000: Network Edition.
Unless of course, the object of the MUD is for everyone to start out at the same level and kill each other, such as in the popular MUD Genocide.
Here is a link passed on to me by a friend. It is essentially a petition against the RIAA.
Here is the URL: Boycott the RIAA
Please show your support. Thanks!