Question about "no homework" policy in Factual Questions, and how to contact a mod

[Robot_Arm]

Just for fun, I’ve been working my way through an old college textbook for vector mechanics. I’m stuck on one of the problems, and would like to post a thread asking for help. Would that run afoul of the “no homework questions” policy? It is homework of a sort, but not for any formal class.

Also. I was going to send this question by PM to a mod, but in the new software (can it still be called new at this point?) I can’t find any means to do that. Is there some way to contact a mod for a particular forum, other than flagging a post?

[puzzlegal]

you can contact all the mods with @moderators
If you want to contact the mods of a particular forum, you need to look up who they are and then @name them.

I’ll let a more experienced mod answer your homework problem.

[RitterSport]

First, it’s not really a homework problem if you’re just doing this for fun. Second, I think the no homework policy has been relaxed or removed.

[Thudlow_Boink]

Here’s the most recent clarification I could find on the “no homework” policy:

@engineer_comp_geek

We used to take a tougher stance against homework questions, but these days we do allow them, but we won’t just give answers. Post a question, post what you’ve done so far, post where you are stuck, and we’ll help you sort it out and get you pointed in the right direction.

Post a question and just ask for an answer, basically expecting us to do all of the work for you, and that will get shut down very quickly.

This is specifically detailed in the registration agreement:

Please do not ask other members to do your homework or provide input for your article, paper, or other off-board project. We may waive this rule if you obtain prior permission from a moderator or administrator.

@engineer_comp_geek

I should probably also add that this is in the General Questions FAQ:

8. Don’t ask others to do your homework. If you’re a student with a homework assignment and you need help understanding a concept, you’re welcome to post a question about it here. However, do NOT ask others to do work you’re supposed to do yourself, e.g., “Here’s an equation I was assigned for homework. Please solve for X.” To put it another way, our members generally are happy to help you figure out an answer. Don’t expect them to GIVE you the answer.

As long as homework questions are asked sincerely in GQ, and the OP isn’t just asking for the answers, the responses tend to be pretty helpful, in my experience. Again, this is just the internet, so nothing is guaranteed, but most of the folks around here are helpful. GQ is usually a good resource if you are stuck.

Just don’t ask us to do your work for you.

From this 2018 thread:

In re: Doing homework for newbies

And they are always newbies. Kids, stick around a while and you’ll see that you really don’t want our help, any more than you want help from those wiseasses in your dorm* who really don’t like you. We neither know nor dislike you, yet, but you are fresh meat, an innocent, trusting lamb walking blissful into the abattoir. Good luck with that. George said, “You guys are English majors. My prof wants an interpretation of ‘Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands.’” Happy to help, asshole! He got an F.…

[Thudlow_Boink]

The “no homers” policy, on the other hand, is strictly enforced.

The Simpsons - No Homers Club

[engineer_comp_geek]

@Robot_Arm

Just for fun, I’ve been working my way through an old college textbook for vector mechanics. I’m stuck on one of the problems, and would like to post a thread asking for help. Would that run afoul of the “no homework questions” policy?

No. It would not run afoul of the “no homework” policy. The “no homework” rule is basically don’t ask us to do your work for you. We used to have a problem with lazy students posting their homework here, but that hasn’t been an issue in a long time.

If you post a question out of the textbook, you are probably going to want to explicitly say in the post that this isn’t homework so that everyone knows the context.

You wouldn’t be the first person to pick up an old textbook and post a question about it. We encourage these types of posts.

[Chronos]

Probably redundant since I’ve already replied to the question itself, but yeah, you’re fine here.