Set permissions as to who can view attachments?

Thread Starter

zero_coke

Joined Apr 22, 2009
294
Ok, here's the problem: People usually get a lot more help if they post their schematics up and whatnot, but for us students we can't really do that. The reason is that other students are lurking these forums as well and they'll copy the schematic and just paste it. Now, I'm not against information sharing and the whole point of forums, but these school assignments take hours if not days to do and I just simply don't want others to copy and paste it.

Now, I'd like to put forth a suggestion. I'd like to allow certain people to view the attachments so that way I can get the help I need and not have others copy/paste them. For example, when uploading the attachments, you can specify which member can view this attachment (usually the ones who post "post a schematic and we'll help you out").

Is this a good idea?
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Actually the feature already exists as I understand it. It is part of what friends are for. Post it in the albums, and set the permissions where friends are the only people who can view it.

Jrap or one of the other guys may have a better idea though.
 

Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
There is room for debate here:

Why is it ok for you to be told what is the solution of your problem, but not the student next to you? Is it because you took the trouble to make a post and ask for help? If that was the case, "Let me Google that for you" wouldn't be a motto for many of us here. If he can reach the site, then he is allowed to retrieve any knowledge he finds here.

AAC has a public character. Help is given in threads, in general, where it can be reviewed by multiple people. PMs are discouraged as a rule.

It is not illegal, but I doubt that many people will answer your call to help you and only you in your query.
 

Thread Starter

zero_coke

Joined Apr 22, 2009
294
Yes I understand that but help is mainly given through the text and not the schematics alone. The only reason I want my schematics to be viewed by people like Bill Marsden is so they can take a quick look and be able to troubleshoot what the problem is, not for him to take the schematic and submit it as his assignment. Many students will go through the extra trouble to find the schematic and just submit it as their own without trying to understand what the schematic is doing or what its function is in the first place. They can certainly also benefit from the entire thread without viewing the schematic because for them seeing the schematic makes no difference whether or not they benefit from the thread itself. I only want the schematic to viewed by people who already understand what's going on, not for people to look at it and not know what its doing and simply copy/paste and hand it in as their own work...
 

justtrying

Joined Mar 9, 2011
439
You might have already noticed that full solutions are rearly posted here. The site is more of a guidance to help find the solution for yourself. It is for the benefit of everybody. The idea also is to build a library of knowledge. If you want private guidance, maybe think about hiring a tutor.
 

t06afre

Joined May 11, 2009
5,934
I see your point Zero_coke. But I disagree strongly. If not the information in this forum is public to all members. That is the point of this forum then. Every student is responsible for his/hers learning. If a student just solve homework by just doing copy past. The student will in the long run only foul him/her self. Also in electronics a important learning method is reverse engineering. If you find some circuit. And "break" it down to understand how it works. Then you gained a good part of knowledge. It really does not matter who was first to draw the circuit and make it public. As long as you do not take credit for the original work of course.
 

Thread Starter

zero_coke

Joined Apr 22, 2009
294
Alright I understand then. Don't get the wrong idea guys, I'm not in favor of "hiding" anything. I love sharing of knowledge and try my best to contribute, but it just makes me really mad when I see these people in my class just pass by 4 years of engineering and they get the same degree as I do without a fraction of the effort as I put in. Oh well, what are you gonna do. It's life.
 

t06afre

Joined May 11, 2009
5,934
I once got a student expelled from university. This student was copying other students lab reports and sent them in in his own name. Did not think I would discovers the little scam. But since I was the person to approve all the lab reports. It was not that hard. But anyway not all cheaters get under the radar:D
 

Thread Starter

zero_coke

Joined Apr 22, 2009
294
Oh it's not a matter of uncovering cheaters. The cheaters at my university are so terrible at cheating that the professor literally sees and hears them cheat but chooses to do nothing about it. I mean, there are people actually having verbal conversations in the back during midterms and exams and the professor pretends like s/he didn't hear anything. The lab reports/assignments are copied so terribly that the cheating student doesn't even change the date or erase the previous students' name! That's how lame they are at cheating. I mean, if you're going to do something, you might as well do it well jeez.
 

RiJoRI

Joined Aug 15, 2007
536
Oh it's not a matter of uncovering cheaters. The cheaters at my university are so terrible at cheating that the professor literally sees and hears them cheat but chooses to do nothing about it. I mean, there are people actually having verbal conversations in the back during midterms and exams and the professor pretends like s/he didn't hear anything. The lab reports/assignments are copied so terribly that the cheating student doesn't even change the date or erase the previous students' name! That's how lame they are at cheating. I mean, if you're going to do something, you might as well do it well jeez.
Then it sounds like it's time to take your money elsewhere! If the school, through its representative -- the teacher -- condones cheating, then I would (a) complain to the teacher's supervisors, and if I got no satisfaction, I'd vote with my wallet! (Or my parents' wallets :cool: )

--Rich
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,045
Wait to you get into the real world! You will find people your whole life that will ride on the back of others hard work if they can. Do what you do for yourself and not worry about the others. :)
 

Thread Starter

zero_coke

Joined Apr 22, 2009
294
Then it sounds like it's time to take your money elsewhere! If the school, through its representative -- the teacher -- condones cheating, then I would (a) complain to the teacher's supervisors, and if I got no satisfaction, I'd vote with my wallet! (Or my parents' wallets :cool: )

--Rich
See the thing is, this University is relatively smaller than others so they can't expel these students. I mean, they are well aware of the huge cheating problem but those students are a source of income and you can't necessarily cut that source out. And if you decide not to expel but fail them, then they may not resume the studies so that's a concern for the business aspect of the University. Other than that, the issue is known by everyone but no one can do anything about it. It's just how it runs.

As for the cheaters in real life, do not worry about me, I am one step ahead of cheaters hehe ;) In real life, you grab cheaters and shake them!
 
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