WSB 2-03: Problems and Suggestions

I've completed a sweeping review of all of your blogs. This post is a compilation of comments and gmail extracts that I'm cross-posting here to highlight recurring problems that I hope will never occur again, especially plagiarism. The problem areas I cover with this bulletin are:

1. Essays (not to mention late and missing essays)
2. Mega-essays: incomplete or unconsolidated
   
3. Plagiarism: "completely unacceptable"!
4. Proto-Portfolio 2-01
   

Even if I haven't commented directly on your blog, or sent you gmail about it, you should review your own blog to make sure it shares none of the problems that I've pointed out. It is up to you to make sure that you've followed all of the suggestions below.

1. Essays: titles, labels, and word counts

Can you think of a catchy, yet comprehensive title... for this essay? "My draft essay" is pretty dull.

November 6, 2007 12:01:11 JST

Can you think of a catchy, yet comprehensive title that will attract readers to your essay, and give them a taste of the kind(-s) of places it's about before they start reading?

November 6, 2007 12:13:25 JST

For starters, a catchy yet comprehensive title would be nice! I'd also like you to include a total word count for the whole essay.

November 6, 2007 12:05:01 JST

This essay is about more than one place, isn't it? It is also hard to find, because you've forgotten to attach the label "essays" to it.

November 6, 2007 12:09:40 JST

2. Mega-essays: incomplete or unconsolidated

I haven't found a complete mega-essay about Kumamoto (with an introductory paragraph, three or more main points, and a concluding paragraph - plus links, photos & other media) anywhere on your blog.

... [details removed]

It seems that you [may] have confused individual bits and pieces of a mega-essay, and links to group mates blogs, with a complete essay composed of all of the required parts and posted on each of your blogs.

You must compile your group essay and post it in its entirety on your blog. (So must your group mates.) Then I suggest that you label it "essays" just like all of the other essays that you have completed.

Please share this information with your group mates, classmates, and peers.

November 6, 2007 16:51:23 JST

3. Plagiarism: "completely unacceptable"!

I regret to inform you that because part of your essay on ... [title & date] is plagiarized, I am giving you no credit at all for this assignment.

A large portion of your essay comes directly from ... [external source]. Copying the work of others like that is completely unacceptable. For a brief explanation of plagiarism, see the WinK Homepage (help:faq, What is plagiarism?), which I've included as a reference in the sidebar of the Writing Studio Wiki. For details, please contact Mr. Tomei as soon as possible.

If you plagiarize any part of any future assignment, I will give you no credit for Writing IV. I may also seek further punishments that KGU might impose on student[s] who plagiarize the work of others.

November 6, 2007 17:17:12 JST

4. Proto-Portfolio 2-01: Titles, labels, & data

Would you please accurately entitle this post, "Proto-Portfolio 2-01", change your label... to "portfolios" ([plural, with] no capital "P"), and fill in the data for August through October right away?

November 6, 2007 12:27:47 JST

Where's your data for August - October? Please fill it in right away.

2007年11月6日 16時44分00秒 JST

I came here looking for the beginning of your proto-portfolio for fall semester, following your label "proto-portfolio", but found a virtually complete portfolio from spring semester instead.

To prevent such confusion in the future, please relabel this and all other portfolio pieces with the simple, plural label "portfolios", instead of "proto-portfolio[-s]", and get and bring a Proto-Portfolio 2-01 up to date for October immediately!

2007/11/06 17:49

5. Wrap-up

Though I started collecting these comments and suggestions as I was about halfway through my sweep, they still apply to many other essays, mega-essays, and proto-portfolio posts on other blogs. In fact, you may find similar comments on your own blogs, or similar messages in your gmail queues. I hope you will continue to share any advice or suggestions that you get with all of your group mates, classmates and peers.

The advice above regarding essay titles applies to every post that you make. Moreover, I expect you to review all of the suggestions that I've made about labels, both here and in other posts, and apply them to every post on your own blogs as well. If you find new or similar problems on peers' blogs, please make suggestions for improvement in comments directly on their blogs as soon as possible.

Last, but most important - regarding plagiarism: Please consider yourselves forewarned of a zero-tolerance policy. Plagiarism in any post may have severe academic consequences.

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