Turnitin Sucks :: plagiarism police

Turnitin Sucks It's with a great deal of interest that I've been following the most recent uproar in the blogoshpere about Turnitin.com and about whether or not higher ed is taking the proverbial low ground in the ethical battles by the increasing use of Turnitin. It is my opinion and always has been that there is something fundamentally wrong with the whole process of requiring students to turn in their work to the plagiarism police. I think this graphic from the Honk Kong Polytechnic University is especially humorous. I didn't have their permission to show it on my site so I created my own sign at the Ronald McHummer site. About 2-3 years ago we had the conversation on campus about whether we should license (or is it subscribe to) the Turnitin service. Of course there were some people who were in favor of it, but the majority was put off by the same things that have always bothered me about the deal. The arguments at that time against using Turnitin appear to still be the main arguments. In no particular order, they include: "I am currently taking a course that requires me to submit my papers to Turnitin. My objection to Turnitin is that they are not only infringing my copyright, but that they are doing so for commercial profit. If they want to make money from storing my paper in a database, they should pay me for a license." (EricSmith comment on Slashdot) "Why are we violating authorial integrity to teach students that violating authorial integrity is wrong?" (by Bob, first comment) "can shift attention away from teaching students how to avoid plagiarism in the first place. In â€Å"Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices,† the Council of Writing Program Administrators urges teachers to â€Å"use plagiarism detection services cautiously,† for they should â€Å"never be used to justify the avoidance of responsible teaching methods.† "I find it more than a bit ironic, that this company works with WebCT and Blackboard, who argue that one should use Course Managment software to protect student's privacy (alah FERPA) when turnitin.com fundamentally violates student's rights." (Dave, Sept. 7, 18:05) "It's just like music composition. People with similar music education backgrounds end up producing similar music. That's just how it is. Are you seriously going to argue that the standard educational texts HAVEN'T been mined for every bloody original idea they contain a thousand times over?" (read the whole comment by Cadallin)

Of Morality and Spirituality Essay

The moral sacred Philippines started from a dream, and now that it continues to progress it can be one good evidence that as long as someone believes in an idea, it can be possible. As long as its aim is for the goodness of the citizens, it can be a reality. This concept does not want to create a world of perfection but rather a world of morality and spirituality. That world is where we can clearly distinguish the right ones from the bad. It is where we can not only think about ourselves but also the community, the government, and the nation. This dream can all be possible if we just go and believe that the land where we stand can be a better habitat of mankind. From Genesis 1:27, God created mankind in His own image. This verse proves that each of us is spiritual at heart. We just have to go and find the path through our hearts. We are created in His likeness which gives us the realization that all living things have something good in the inside. If we believe, make something to make this work, the moral sacred Philippines will make sense. A. WRITING AS A SOCIAL ACT The event connects with how writing can be a social act. In the said event, one does not only think about himself but also for the people around him. As for writing, a writer does not only write for him or for him to understand but also for his readers and audience. You write alone, but you always write for others. Readers matter. Once a writer sets his or her thoughts to any medium, whether paper, blog, status update, there is the potential for audience interaction. Ideas and creativity are created outside ourselves. Writers can never be more creative without the experiences and thoughts the people have. They continue to interact with people. Writing is a social act. Writers choose to see the beauty and brilliance of the world around them. Writing is nothing without the world and mind that surrounds them. B. WRITING AS A MORAL ACT Morality and spirituality is what the event focuses on. As for writing, writers do not only write everything that flows from their thinking, he must be careful. Something that anyone who writes words of any kind would do well to remember. Words have their moral consequences. The responsibility is particularly great for writers who deal with spiritual issues. Every word they write leaves its mark upon their soul and upon the souls of those who read their work. Their words may become sacraments, visible signs of an invisible grace, or they may turn to poison and ashes. It may signify the abyss or nothing at all. Writers must strive against mediocrity in one’s work, aiming always higher for lucidity of thought and beauty of expression with still being careful with the words they use. Every piece they make has an effect in this world. They are part of our moral conversation as a society. They weigh in. The creation of literature worthy not only its high artistic calling but of his stature as a creature created in the image and likeness of God.

Case Study Black Box Corporation - 1300 Words

The legal name of the corporation I am analyzing is Black Box Corporation. This corporation is generally known as the Black Box and it is headquartered in Lawrence, Pennsylvania. According to their annual report, â€Å"[t]hey participate in the worldwide communication network infrastructure and managed services market† (2016). The company operates internationally â€Å"consisting of four operating segments which are (i) North American Products, (ii) North American Sevices, (iii) International Products and (iv) International Services† (Black Box Corp, 2016). The corporation has multiple subsidiaries, two of which include Midwest Communications Technologies Inc and Delaney Telecom Inc. Midwest Communications Technologies was founded in 2014 and is†¦show more content†¦The letter also indicates their transformation roadmap consisting or four phases: Stability, Optimize, Expand, and Transform. Also indicated are their recent achievements where they praise their tea m â€Å"for finishing Fiscal 2016 with strong cash flow† (2016). Item 7 contains the management’s discussion and analysis of the financial condition and the results of operations of Black Box Corporation. It works in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes. It begins with the breakdown of the company and its forty year history and indicates that their product revenues â€Å"are generated from sales to end-users, collaboration with key channel partners and system integrators and through a global distribution network† (Black Box Corp, 2016). Their average order size is less than one thousand dollars, yet they continue to build a strong reputation. â€Å"The company also serves government clients whose revenue is not as dependent on the overall economic environment as commercial clients but are subject to governmental budgetary constraints† (2016). 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