# The forum is useless if one cant post questions related to his work.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [March 4, 2014, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815 "2014-03-04T09:11:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@RGNITKKR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RGNITKKR)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/1 "2014-03-04T09:11:13Z")
A Forum is made to help others and here it is violating the basic purpose itself.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/2 "2014-03-04T09:16:35Z")
And yet many hundreds of people have found it useful over the years. Why do you tihnk that is?
So, the factual answer to your question, such as it is, is: This forum is useful, for those who know how to use it correctly.
BTW: Complaints about this MB go in ABTM forum. You might find this MB to be more useful if you read the rules before posting. Just some friendly advice.
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### Author:  [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/3 "2014-03-04T11:27:33Z")
He means this thread
> **[Can the Jacobian matrix formed from some equations be converted into the...](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=717318)**
>
> Can the Jacobian matrix formed from some equations be converted into the transfer function? Actually I have 6 equations and got the Jacobian matrix formed from those equations by keeping some parameters as variables and some as constants.Now I want...
It was closed because the mods thought you are a student asking people to do your homework for you.
Asking a question about work is different. Send a PM to the General Questions mods and explain. If they believe you, they’ll re-open the thread.
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### Author:  [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/4 "2014-03-04T12:00:59Z")
He describes himself as a masters student.
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### Author:  [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/5 "2014-03-04T12:23:32Z")
That said, I’d be mildly interested in a layman’s explanation of what the hell the OP’s original question in the other thread even means.
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### Author:  [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/6 "2014-03-04T12:47:09Z")
> [@Gyrate](#):
>
> That said, I’d be mildly interested in a layman’s explanation of what the hell the OP’s original question in the other thread even means.
Well, you can’t ask **RGNITKKR** , that’s for sure.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/7 "2014-03-04T12:52:20Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#):
>
> He describes himself as a masters student.
I dunno, as a math major (most of which I don’t remember anymore) it sounded a lot like what we did when I was an undergrad. Linear Algebra maybe.
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/8 "2014-03-04T13:59:30Z")
**Moderator Action**
Moving thread from General Questions to About This Message Board.
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### Author:  [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/9 "2014-03-04T14:12:10Z")
perhaps some tech savvy person could invent a digital representation of tarring and feathering someone. this way there would be more options available than just snarky remarks when someone asks a question you don’t like.
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### Author:  [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/10 "2014-03-04T14:14:21Z")
Yet somehow we’ve managed to be around for 15 years or so.
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### Author:  [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/11 "2014-03-04T15:20:40Z")
In the original thread the OP said:
> [@](#):
>
> Hey buddy,thats not my home work.I am a Master’s student and I need this to complete my project.
So see, it’s not home work, it’s a project for school. He’s working on it in his dorm room, not at home.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/12 "2014-03-04T15:21:43Z")
Here’s the rule that **engineer comp geek** quoted in his ruling:
> [@](#):
>
> Please do not ask other members to do your homework or provide input for your article, paper, or other off-board project.
I want to point out that all of that happens constantly on this board. I understand the desire to limit/reduce the amount of homework questions. But the rest of those get passes nearly every single time they come up. And they’re usually pretty popular threads, so the community apparently doesn’t have a problem with it.
I suggest boiling the rule down a bit to just single-out homework requests.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/13 "2014-03-04T15:28:16Z")
> [@Munch](#):
>
> I suggest boiling the rule down a bit to just single-out homework requests.
From the original thread(and the OP himself)
> [@](#):
>
> Hey buddy,thats not my home work.I am a Master’s student and I need this to complete my project.
Am I alone in thinking that when a student needs answers to complete a project, that counts as “homework”?
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/14 "2014-03-04T15:38:17Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> From the original thread(and the OP himself) Am I alone in thinking that when a student needs answers to complete a project, that counts as “homework”?
Please note that I didn’t express any disagreement with the thread closure, or suggest that there was anything wrong with c\_e\_g’s ruling. Just that the rule itself is overly broad, at least in terms of how it’s enforced on a day-to-day basis in regard to the “input for your article, paper, or other off-board project” portion of the rule.
But thanks for playing.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/15 "2014-03-04T15:42:47Z")
> [@Munch](#):
>
> Please note that I didn’t express any disagreement with the thread closure, or suggest that there was anything wrong with c\_e\_g’s ruling. Just that the rule itself is overly broad, at least in terms of how it’s enforced on a day-to-day basis in regard to the “input for your article, paper, or other off-board project” portion of the rule.
>
> But thanks for playing.
Perhaps if you provided an example(much like I did) of the point you are making it would help.
And let me know when it’s my turn to play again.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/16 "2014-03-04T15:54:28Z")
People start threads asking for information that would clarify something in a book they’re writing, or they’re looking for opinions on the historical accuracy of a setting, etc. pretty routinely.
Additionally, “off-board project” seems pretty vague.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/17 "2014-03-04T16:08:15Z")
> [@Munch](#):
>
> People start threads asking for information that would clarify something in a book they’re writing, or they’re looking for opinions on the historical accuracy of a setting, etc. pretty routinely.
Yep, they sure do.
Now how about a link showing there is an ongoing problem of people responding to those posts with variations of “No homework!”?
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/18 "2014-03-04T16:09:54Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> Yep, they sure do.
> Now how about a link showing there is an ongoing problem of people responding to those posts with variations of “No homework!”?
I honestly can’t tell if you really don’t get what Munch is saying or if you’re doing this on purpose.
ETA, he’s suggesting the rule should be backed off to just ‘no homework’. FTR, I never knew there was more to that rule then just ‘no homework’.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/19 "2014-03-04T16:14:25Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#):
>
> I honestly can’t tell if you really don’t get what Munch is saying or if you’re doing this on purpose.
>
> ETA, he’s suggesting the rule should be backed off to just ‘no homework’. FTR, I never knew there was more to that rule then just ‘no homework’.
Munch is suggesting a solution to a problem, and I would like to know if the problem exists in the first place.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-forum-is-useless-if-one-cant-post-questions-related-to-his-work/682815/20 "2014-03-04T16:23:34Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> Yep, they sure do.
Thank you for acknowledging what I think most people were capable of allowing as a given in the first place.
> [@](#):
>
> Now how about a link showing there is an ongoing problem of people responding to those posts with variations of “No homework!”?
I didn’t suggest there was one. Good lord - go take a nap. When people post “help me with my homework” threads, mods tend to close them pretty consistently. When people post “help me with my project” threads, they aren’t closed with much consistency, if at all. So why not just take that clause out of the rule?
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