ru...@yahoo.com wrote:
On 10/21/2009 01:40 AM, Lie Ryan wrote:
ru...@yahoo.com wrote:
1) It may look like a homework problem to you but it
probably isn't.
Seehttp://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/msg/8ac6db43b09fdc92
Homework comes in many forms - school driven homework should be
treated the same as self driven research, IMO. You're not doing it to
be told the answer, you're likely doing it to learn.
As I said in point (5), you are not in a position to
decide how someone else best learns, even if your guess
that the question is homework, contrary to the evidence
in the url, is correct.
Yes we do. If the person wanted a direct and straight answer (like most
cheaters) for such a simple question (like integer palindrome), googling
takes less time and efforts compared to posting to a mailing list.
In that particular case, yes. However many problem are
much more difficult to search for. You're also assuming
that every poster is a perfect decision-maker when deciding
how to seek help. Sorry, people are not as perfect as you
think.
Read again: "for such a simple question"
this implies that he wanted explanations which
can only be provided with the more interactive newsgroup instead of a
relatively static websites.
No it doesn't imply any such thing. It is exactly this
narrowness of focus, this inability to see alternate
explanations, that is leading you to think that
providing hints is the single one and only right
way of responding to any simple question on this list.
They may post here because, ...(ready for this?)...
they want a direct answer to their question!
Whooaa, I didn't know that...
Baaakaaa...
They should just say if they want to.
3) You are not responding only to the original poster;
there are many other silent readers who are interested
in the answer and whom you are depriving of knowledge
by refusing to answer.
MRAB provided a perfect answer - anybody who wants to know more, or
could not connect the dots, can always ask for more information.
No. Forcing people to beg for bits and pieces of an answer
one at a time, doled out by a cabal of elite "gurus", is
humiliating and a disincentive. If you can answer the question,
do so without all the farting around. If you don't want too,
or you feel answering in bits and pieces is helpful, fine, do
that, but don't object to someone else providing a direct
answer.
Yes we have the right to complain,
Of course. This is usenet (or a very open mailing list
depending on your perspective.) You can complain or
say anything you want. As can I. However people will
pay attention to you or not based on the degree of sense
you make (in an ideal world) or based on other group-
dynamic things (in an imperfect world) or a combination
of both (in the real world).
I have nothing to say about that, just let others decide.
Giving direct answer is too tempting for an OP that originally wanted to
try to solve by their own. It is too easy to copy and even the most
determined would have a difficult time to resist.
Baloney. When I ask a question in any forum I read
all the answers (although I might only skim those that
are duplicative, off-topic, or otherwise less relevent
to my goals). I extract from them all the information
I can. And if two answers provide the same information,
what's your problem? Are you angry that someone else
provided a more effective answer than you thus devaluing
your effort? Sorry, but that's just life. If it's
any consolation though, I for one note and appreciate
all responses, even if they are duplicative or even wrong.
Effective for one day does not mean it is also effective for the next
forty-two years.
Education is a long term goal, not just a short-sighted, short-term goal
like to get the highest mark in the exam or finishing an assignment with
the best mark in the class.
When that happen, the OP is not interested in studying about
the solution anyway and hints are useless.
Again, a completely unjustified conclusion.
Can you justify your own conclusion then? If you haven't realized, the
burden of proof is on you who opposes the current long-standing ethics.
As a metaphor, which one do you think is better in the long term:
charities or microcredits?
Both of course. Why on earth would anyone think there
is a simple, single, best answer for complex problems?
Nope, read again. On the *long term* (as I have stated in the question),
microcredits is proven to be much more effective to solving poverty. In
the short term, charities will have much quicker effect but not one that
is lasting and in fact too much charities makes a lot more problems.
Education have time as much as your life-time, short term quickie answer
is discouraged in favor of a longer lasting solution. OTOH, if the OP
wanted to use the script in the workplace; that is a short term goal
that can often be justified.
my .02
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