Is it time to keep blogs homework-free?

[Evo]

Just look at the blogs, Almost every blog is homework. You just need to look at the list of blogs, you don't have to read any of them, and see where either I or Redbelly have had to re-direct them.

 

[Moonbear]

That and the absence of "quality control" are the major problems I see. I don't know about our HW Helpers and Advisors, but I almost never venture into the Blogs. (I do, of course, if a blog posting is reported.)

My guess is that 99% of homework or other questions posted in blogs are just ignored or not even seen by someone who might be able to help. Lots of luck getting good help there.

Nonetheless, I think we should--at least for the record--make it clear that homework/textbook questions belong in the HW forums, not in blogs (or "Visitor Messages" or PMs, for that matter!).

But, that's the point, I think. If they just want wrong answers, they'll get them in the blogs, and learn that's not a good place to ask for help. If they post them in the HW Help forums and get the HHers to guide them through the learning process, they'll get good help. I'm not really worried about someone who doesn't follow simple instructions getting wrong answers or no answers. Some people have to learn the hard way.

 

[Moonbear]

If someone spots violations of our "don't just hand out solutions" rule being violated anywhere, please report it. I think that such violations in blogs should incur an immediate penalty, since you shouldn't be giving (or asking for) help in blogs anyway.

And I trust that our team of HW Helpers will not be giving help in blogs. (But posting a comment that they should use the proper forum would be appropriate.)

Indeed. To me, there's more of a problem if someone who knows the forum and knows better is going in and giving help to the people posting in blogs. If they just all get ignored or deleted with no help, they'll figure it out on their own (or if they are so clueless they DON'T figure it out, then there's probably no helping them anyway).

 

[ZapperZ]

Just look at the blogs, Almost every blog is homework. You just need to look at the list of blogs, you don't have to read any of them, and see where either I or Redbelly have had to re-direct them.

So how many of those actually had a violation of our rules, i.e. had someone responding with a complete solution?

Zz.

 

[Evo]

So how many of those actually had a violation of our rules, i.e. had someone responding with a complete solution?

Zz.

Two yesterday. I caught most of them before anyone had a chance to respond.

 

[Kurdt]

If there can be a way to gently coerce them toward the correct place to post questions then I would endorse that. Do those who receive no reply even try elsewhere on the forums or just give it up and go elsewhere? I suspect its the latter. I know a lot of kids are very impatient and so most probably don't read the rules when they join (just as you always accept license agreements on software without reading them). I don't see that as any reflection of their academic ability, that's just the impetuousness of youth. I know the forum is staffed by volunteers, but one of its main goals is education and so just ignoring a whole section of the site traffic that seeks help with their education is something I don't think we should do.

I don't know how setting up a blog works which renders my bank of suggestions empty. There must be a way of making it more difficult for new members to post in a blog before they can post in the forum however.

 

[Redbelly98]

I don't know how setting up a blog works ...

Click on "Blogs" at the top of any PF page. Then, in the "Options" section on the left side of the Blogs page, click on "Post to your Blog"

 

[tiny-tim]

complete solution

So how many of those actually had a violation of our rules, i.e. had someone responding with a complete solution?

Today, an answer "correct to three decimals", at https://www.physicsforums.com/blog.php?bt=656#comment656 :

alyssa15 (0 posts):
i am in chemistry in high school and i don't understand this problem at all:
A student is given a crucible and asked to prove whether it is made of pure platinum. She first weighs the crucible in air and then weighs it suspended in water (density = 0.9986 g/mL). The readings are 882.1 g and 820.2 g, respectively. Based on these measurements and given that the density of platinum is 21.45 g/cm3, what is the volume of water displaced?

ovais (0 posts):
well this is a simple problem and can be solved as below . from archimedes' principle,loss in weight of the body =weight of the liquid displaced. Moderation Note: Removed complete solution. Thanks for pointing this out tim. Hoot[/color]

 

[cristo]

Thanks for pointing that out: I've removed the above blog post.

 

[Kurdt]

You can report blog comments can't you?

 

[Hootenanny]

You can report blog comments can't you?

Yes you can indeed. Click the https://www.physicsforums.com/Nexus/misc/blog/report.gif button in the lower right hand corner of each post to report it. It's better to report blog comments rather than posting here since we get a notification of reported threads/comments in the mentors forum.

 

[tiny-tim]

Yes you can indeed. Click the https://www.physicsforums.com/Nexus/misc/blog/report.gif button in the lower right hand corner of each post to report it. It's better to report blog comments rather than posting here since we get a notification of reported threads/comments in the mentors forum.

Hi Hoot!

i'm not interested in reporting them …

i was only replying to ZapperZ's pertinent question …

the point is that new members are still asking questions by blogging, and getting answers.

 

[Hootenanny]

Hi Hoot!

i'm not interested in reporting them …

i was only replying to ZapperZ's pertinent question …

the point is that new members are still asking questions by blogging, and getting answers.

Hey Tim,

That's fine. I know that the blogs are an issue when it comes homework help, I usually delete a couple of entries and issue a few warnings every day for homework in the blogs. Unfortunately, short of moderating all blog posts the only way to stop homework in blogs is to report it so that we can delete the posts and warn the users. Usually once people have been warned they stop posting homework in the blogs.

 

[tiny-tim]

Usually once people have been warned they stop posting homework in the blogs.

Yes, I'm sure nobody does it twice …

but there's an unending supply of newcomers "getting off the boat" and rushing to do it once.

This sort of thing …

puts off serious bloggers like me! ​

 

[Hootenanny]

Yes, I'm sure nobody does it twice …

but there's an unending supply of newcomers "getting off the boat" and rushing to do it once.

This sort of thing …

puts off serious bloggers like me! ​

Hmm, perhaps we could require that a user must make a minimum of say five posts in the forums before they can create, or post to a blog?

 

[Redbelly98]

It looks like this is always going to happen. It just takes a few HH's or Moderators willing to check the blogs for HW. Then either report them or point them to the right place, in order to keep things down to a minimum.

definitely report the violations. Those send the message that blogging is a good way to get HW answers, and the problem mushrooms as we've seen.

 

[Redbelly98]

Hmm, perhaps we could require that a user must make a minimum of say five posts in the forums before they can create, or post to a blog?

From earlier in this thread:

Greg, what about the idea of a minimum post count for blogging?

It's a good one, but not possible right now.

 

[Hootenanny]

From earlier in this thread:

Oops, I guess that'll teach me to read the entire thread before posting .

Thanks for keeping the Blogs in check RB! Even thought I have to warn a few users everyday, it'd be a lot more if you weren't in there keeping them in check

 

[Redbelly98]

To keep myself from going nuts, I've composed some generic copy-and-paste responses:

https://www.physicsforums.com/usernote.php?do=viewuser&u=122961

Other people are welcome to use these too ...

Uh, people? Hey, where did everybody go

 

[tiny-tim]

… behind you … !

To keep myself from going nuts, I've composed some generic copy-and-paste responses:
…
Uh, people? Hey, where did everybody go

You went nuts … we're still here!

Hint: go round the computer and look at the other side of the screen!

 

[jtbell]

go round the computer and look at the other side of the screen!

All I see there is a bunch of dust bunnies!

 

[Redbelly98]

All I see there is a bunch of dust bunnies!

That's us! We're all just a bunch of dust bunnies. You're the only real person at PF.

:Buwahahahahaha:

(edited post to correct spelling of "Buwahahahahaha" )

 

[Moonbear]

You went nuts … we're still here!

Hint: go round the computer and look at the other side of the screen!

All I see there is a bunch of dust bunnies!

Maybe I need to leave a few dust bunnies on the other side of my screen so the cat will chase those instead of my mouse pointer. It's hard reading the screen through a cat! (She's probably eyeing up Redbelly's and Tiny-Tim's avatars too. )

 

[Redbelly98]

It's hard reading the screen through a cat! (She's probably eyeing up Redbelly's and Tiny-Tim's avatars too. )

http://images.art.com/images/-/Mr-Bill---Ohh-Nooo-Magnet-C11751410.jpeg

 

[tiny-tim]

It's hard reading the screen through a cat! (She's probably eyeing up Redbelly's and Tiny-Tim's avatars too. )

Keep that cat away from me!
​

and my mouse! ​

oooh, that was scary!​

I notice that, in the non-homework forums, the Post New Thread page, just above the title frame, now has the bright red warning Do NOT post homework! Homework questions go here

Will this be done to the Post to your Blog page also (perhaps adding "or other help requests")?

… and how about, in the same place on the homework pages,
copying the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,
with, in big friendly red letters: DON'T PANIC! ? ​

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Will this be done to the Post to your Blog page also (perhaps adding "or other help requests")?

… and how about, in the same place on the homework pages,
copying the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,
with, in big friendly red letters: DON'T PANIC! ? ​

We have a similar notice on the blog post template.

 

[tiny-tim]

We have a similar notice on the blog post template.

Hi Greg!

No, all it says (https://www.physicsforums.com/blog_post.php?do=newblog), in ordinary small black, is "Title (NO HOMEWORK!)".

On the Post New Thread page, the equivalent line is "Title (be descriptive!)" … the big red notice is on a line above that.

 

[Redbelly98]

I agree with Tim. The (NO HOMEWORK!) message on the blogs is not nearly as noticeable as
Do NOT post homework! Homework questions go here
seen in the non-HW forums.

EDIT: changed size and color of messages to reflect actual appearance.

 

[tiny-tim]

four homework blogs yesterday

Yesterday (GMT), there were four homework blogs.

The only advantage of this is that we get to see multiple copies of Redbelly's avatar every day!

One disadvantage is that genuine blogs are much less likely to be viewed by people who will appreciate them, if everyone assumes they're just homework.

The fifth blog yesterday, by jal, is a proper blog (with two pretty diagrams ), but members can't tell that from the title, so are less likely to look at it.

(I think members can tell my blog isn't a homework blog! )​

and the problem is self-perpetuating, since the more new members see homework blogs, and particularly the featured ones, the more they'll be encouraged to post their own​

 

[Hootenanny]

An increasing number of students are posting their homework questions in their personal blogs rather than in the homework forums. Not only is posting homework in the blogs prohibited by the Physics Forums Global Guidelines, but it also makes it more difficult for our dedicated team of homework helpers to assist with queries. Not only this, but those who use the blogs for what they were intended for, i.e. as an online journal, find their entries are being 'drowned out' by homework questions.

Currently, members who post homework questions in the blogs are warned to repost their question in the appropriate homework forum. However, after discussion amongst the mentors it has been decided that any homework questions posted in the blogs will be deleted without notice. This will ensure that all students both adhere to the Global Guidelines and receive the high quality homework help that Physics Forums has become renowned for.

This policy is in effect immediately.