Homework & the net (was Roots of polynomials)

[Charles Tryon]

In <49248 at seismo.CSS.GOV> bonnett at seismo.CSS.GOV (H. David Bonnett) writes:
> In article <4529 at idunno.Princeton.EDU>, subbarao at phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Kartik Subbarao) writes:
>  About homework on the net...
> 
> |> Anyway -- what does everyone else think about this? I've seen both sorts of
> |> attitudes on the subject. What do you guys think comp.lang.c should do?
> 
> **DO YOUR OWN WORK: DO NOT EXPECT A FREE RIDE HERE***
> 
> There, now I feel better... Honestly, I try to only post questions here
> when there does not appear to be any answer available in the docs or from
> the several gurus kicking around here. ...

  True enough.  However, we shouldn't have to be playing "Net Police" and
  jumping all over people who ask what WE consider to be a simple question.
  All those Un*x and C manuals can be downright intimidating to the novice,
  or even experienced programmers.  (I STILL have an awful time finding
  things when the manuals aren't on line.)  Sometimes, as was noted in an
  earlier article, the books are flat out WRONG (e.g., pointers and arrays).
  We should be able to take the questions at face value and not try to guess
  if the person is trying to cheat.  They have to make their own choices,
  based on their conscience.  If the answer is in an obvious place, like the
  FAQ list, we might give a hint, and point the person to the source, but
  don't flame them as a stupid IDIOT because they didn't RTFM, or worse yet,
  accuse them of cheating on a test.

> People like Chris Torek, Doug Gwyn, and many others are far too busy to
> provide handholding or pointer to man pages. ...

  Sometimes the local "gurus" are too busy also.
  
> They learned their C from doing it, so should others.

  This is truly the best way to learn, but sometimes new people need hints
  where to turn.  Sometimes experienced people don't have the luxury of time
  since they are under pressure of deadlines.  Not everyone is still in
  school.

> Take this point of view or throw it away, I really don't care, it is
> merely an opinion....

  No problem.  Life would be awful dull if we all agreed all the time.  :-)

> -dave bonnett; A geographer running amok in unix
>       bonnett at seismo.css.gov : Center for Seismic Studies -

--
Chuck Tryon
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