Update to GRAWR

[kutsuwamushi]

Got this response from the guy who posted the original question:

Thanks a lot man, I really appreciate it. I normally do my book reports on my own, but I have other work to worry about, mainly in the class I'm failing (I didn't turn in half of the assignments, so I'm doing them now). Thanks to you, I can get this out of the way and work on said assignments.

Can't tell if serious.

But in case he's serious - DO I TELL HIM THAT I MADE ALL THAT UP?

Or do I keep silent, because anyone who would turn in someone else's work instead of reading the damn book themselves deserves what they get?

(Someone might make this choice for me by giving away the game, but...)

Comments

[caltastic]

AMAZING

How could he not even check Wikipedia for an overview?

[kutsuwamushi]

A quick search doesn't show a summary on Wikipedia. I've never heard of the book before - I'm not sure how notable it actually is. I had to use Amazon to start out.

Which is good, because it means it'll be harder for him to fact-check...

[q-pheevr.livejournal.com]

I wonder if he even took the time to read through your summary. (The ability to talk to fruit flies?) Speaking as an instructor who has had to deal with plagiarists before, I vote for letting him have enough rope.

[telophase]

My opinion: he dug his own damn hole -- if he couldn't be bothered to turn in half the assignments in another class, it's not like he's a hard working student who got sidelined by a car accident and is facing an unsympathetic prof or something.

ETA: Which sounds like I'm in favor of plagiarism in extreme circumstances, which I'm not. Ah well.

[kutsuwamushi]

Yeah, when I was trying to decide whether to tell him or not, I was trying to think up situations that would make him more sympathetic -- like illness and an administration that doesn't understand, etc. It wouldn't make it right to cheat but I might prefer to tell him and let him escape with his dignity, at least. That doesn't seem like what's going on here, though.

[(Anonymous)]

If the student doesn't crib from you, they'll crib from someone else. At least this way gives the prof a laugh.