why does ANYONE answer other people's homework questions?

Question

not only are you helping them cheat, but you are encouraging them to go on glutting these boards with their trivial boring questions. Are you so desperate for people to see that you know how to do basic math?

Answer 1

Why do I answer other people's homework questions? Professional habit. I teach for a living and have seen many more times than I care to count when a student just stares at a problem and doesn't know where to start its solution. I don't just give answers, I usually give explanations for each step... what's being done and why.

Do I think someone is cheating if they ask a question here? Not any more than a student asking a parent, tutor, or a teacher after class.

Do people glut the board with questions? Not when they're homework questions. The people who glut the board do so by claiming 0.9999... (repeating forever) isn't equal to one, by posting the Missing Dollar problem (27 - 2 = 25, not 27 + 2 = 29), posting non-proofs that 1 = 2, and so on... questions that have already been posted here hundreds of times.

Am I desperate do show people I can do basic math? Anyone who's read through my answers already knows I can do basic math. Again, the reason is more for general enlightenment of the student... I'll never bask in glory when answering a question many others also know how to do. However, when a truly difficult question arises (you can tell those questions by how few people try to answer them), or something dealing with math history or with the philosophy or ethics of mathematics, I can pride myself with decent work and responses.

Your question raises a point, though. If a student was to leave 20 questions all of a similar nature here, obviously all from the same assignment, THAT would be cheating, having someone else do their work for them. If a student asks only a question or two, that's obviously NOT cheating, as he or she is getting help with just the problem or two that are asked. The student can then apply the knowledge gleaned from the help here to the remaining problems on his or her assignment.

Also remember that everyone here has different strengths and weaknesses in math. (Personally, I suck at questions dealing with topology or with abstract group theory.) What might seem easy or trivial to you might not be for the people asking the question. Likewise, math problems that would be difficult for you might seem easy or trivial to someone else. Unless you're wearing a Fields Medal around your neck or are able to solve one of the Millennium Problems, you've very little room to accuse others for lacking talent in mathematics. I know I don't.

Answer 2

I think some people are genuinely trying to help. Although most problems are trivial, not all the problems are as trivial as you state. Most students can do the problems but want to have something to check their work against. Some teachers and professors are extremely lazy and fail to provide solutions. In such cases, these students may have the right answers and not even know whether they arrived at the right answers correctly (i.e. method). So, it's not about helping them cheat all the time. I don't answer most trivial questions but sometimes I do.

Finally, what may be trivial to you may not be so trivial to others, no?

Answer 3

When I see a record of questions, I is not going to reply them however will factor the individual within the course to uncover the solutions. The cause of homework is to gain knowledge of some thing to not have it performed for you. Same with math questions I will present an instance and give an explanation for that, however simply giving an reply no. I am consistently suspicious of those who ask via pointing out handy or practical homework query. If it's handy or effectively why is it published right here? That consistently turns out to me to mention, I was once simply too lazy to do it myself.

Answer 4

I normally show all the steps but don't give the final answer directly. This way, the asker really has to follow my logic in order to get an answer - and thus hopefully learns the concept anyway.

Or if it's a writing assignment, I write in such a style (combining some colloquialisms with my normal high-literary style) that it's obvious it's not the asker's writing, if he/she copies. If the asker paraphrases or uses me as a source for more research, great. Read my second entry on Einstein.

Answer 5

I think it is wrong for people answering to just give an answer. I think it's helpful if you show how you got the answer. This would help the person see the process of how the answer was reached and could use it in similar problems.

For example, if someone were to ask:
What is the x-intercept of y =3x -6 ?
I would not just say "x =2"

I would say "You can solve this by letting y =0
0 =3x -6
Now solve for x
6 =3x
x =2

Answer 6

I dont' answer basic math questions but I answer bio and chem questions because it's fun to see what I remember from school. If they don't cheat off here they'll cheat from another source, classmates or whatever if they are determined to not do the work themselves.

Answer 7

Believe it or not, not everyone who posts homework problems on here is attempting to cheat.

The ones who take the opportunity to learn from the answers they get will benefit. The ones who just want the answer won't. Like all information, it's how you use it that counts. Simple as that.

Answer 8

Most of us learned a long long time ago that giving
answers benefits those who are trying to learn. Those
that just want easy answers for their homework aren't
going far in life whether we help them or not.

Answer 9

I'll risk them cheating at the possibliity that they learn from my explanations. When test time comes, they won't have me anyway. And if they don't read the explanations and just the answers, then, well they deserve to fail. It's a win-win situation to answer them.

Answer 10

No not desperate. I studied math 15 years ago and I love to show the world my extraordinary ablilities in the calulation with letters , I dont do it for the kids to give them answers I do it for myself. and you ?