@XanderHenderson, @amWhy, @Semiclassical: it was quite a discussion.
Also solving local questions via chat does help, but somehow the chat system is just not upto the mark compared to the way the Q&A and comments work. Leaving aside the gaming aspect, that chat system looks so much different. I prefer the se approach which allows certain discussion in comments and if it gets too long it suggests to move that in a very specific chatroom.
this is a PSQ but answered by one of my favorite mods. I think the comment (to the question) by the same mod was sufficient to help the asker.
Anyway I have voted to close the question for lack of context.
Also the above is not to raise fingers at mods, but to highlight that the problem of handling PSQs is inherently difficult given the way site works and also given the fact that math gives a high to many.
this is another PSQ from the old days. It is a very routine question and any good textbook on sequences and series does prove it as a standard result or via a series of exercises. It was already answered by many and yet we see a new answer (using my favorite approach) by a high rep user.
Both these questions listed above came while I was looking for some nice questions to answer (based on my capacity) but then lost the motivation to browse further. If this looks too much of a rant, sorry to bother.
@an4s How did C2 get an upvote? Most likely from a cheater supporter.
@ParamanandSingh I think we need to wag a finger at moderators who frequently answer PSQs. Sure, that +10 gives a high to many people, but there are many good sources for that besides PSQs. =)
@ParamanandSingh It's SO's ridiculous algorithm, which implies the following: If a whole class of cheaters post a PSQ and view it a lot and upvote it a lot, then it automatically gets onto the HNQ.
Well, I guess I made a mistake; you also need a cheater-supporter to post an answer to the PSQ. (And of course it must escape closure.) But those in conjunction would be enough.
The funny part is that people who actually spend more effort on a question (e.g. use proper MathJax and descriptive titles) are less likely to get on the HNQ. Only plain text titles like "I don't know how to do this" are allowed on HNQ.
After the third incarnation of the same question came up within three days I suspected that this is from some competition or test – which was confirmed by the question author.
@MartinR The Math SE policy does not cover non-public tests/contests. But so what? Cheating is still cheating, whether or not the test questions are on the internet.
@user21820 Honestly, I don't think that the policy is all that great. Contest questions are often bad questions (they are unmotivated and/or without context beyond "this is from a context"), but our policy is to lock such question, which prevents the community from closing or deleting them.
@XanderHenderson Yes I don't like the policy for that reason, but at least it was a public signal (with answers deleted). I would prefer if the questions were locked and answers deleted but the questions never unlocked, so as to preserve the evidence of cheating for posterity.
@MartinR: Anyway, thanks for bringing these up here. I think it would have been better if you hadn't answered the first probable cheating attempt, but that's now 'water under the bridge'.
@MartinR I understand that. It is borderline to most people, though in fact it is a PSQ to me because the only content except from the problem statement was "I know that the limit of the sequence is zero, and I have an idea of how the sequence works geometrically.", which is a completely unsubstantiated claim.
If the asker had provided work showing that the limit of the sequence was zero, or some mathematics for the "works geometrically", I would have given it a pass. It didn't.
@MartinR Now that you know, please delete your answer. After all, it boils down to a Psq that you answered, with or without knowing it was posted along with two other cheating attempts.
My professor said we can look for references, so it's not cheating. That's why it's so hard, because he knew everybody would look for the answers on the web. — João Pedro Barbosa Coelho2 mins ago
@amWhy: thanks for taking it up with them. This shows that maybe there are many answerers (at least those who are a bit new here) who are not aware of the philosophy of this chatroom. Glad to see that the answerer understood your feedback and deleted their post.
@ParamanandSingh Indeed! I remember steering Simply Beautiful Art away from chronic rep chasing, and some others. I wish I were kinder in speaking with the answerer you were referring to, or had the chance to thank them. But, it does seem helpful to interact with high performing newerish users who frequently answer.
For some, I try to emphasiize the difference between point-related "reputation" and overall site behavior "Capital R Reputation", the latter being how many of the long standing members of this site assess them, because I think the two often exist separately, but don't necessarily have to.
@JyrkiLahtonen How goes it?? Are days getting a teeny bit longer? I was complaining about Wisconsin weather earlier this month, but it's bounced back to a norm. I need you around to give me perspective! ;D
@amWhy Other than this week February's been great. We got a foot and a half of snow and temperatures ideal for a bit of skiing (10-25 degrees Fahrenheit). The snow makes a huge difference in how light it is outdoors! But this week it warmed up, and the rain started. The ski trails are quickly becoming useless.
Did you also get bad weather, or was it just further down South? Texas and thereabouts.
@JyrkiLahtonen Wonderful for you, until this week! In early Feb., we were it with a "polar vortex" weather system, where we spent seven fully days never registering above 0 degrees Fahrenheit... then a week of below zero, above zero, high of 10 degrees F, and still got a total of six inches of snow!! But I can totally relate to the how snow cover enhances daylight!
Our march will range from snow, sleet, rain, mud, snow sleet, rain, mud... Wind, and vacillating temperatures.
Ouch. That polar vortes was strange. As is March weather in the Midwest. I remember one weekend my first year at Notre Dame. One Sunday it warmed up to low 70s. I was out in shorts and such. But riding my bike to my place Monday night felt distinctly nippy, so I checked my landlord's thermometer: 9 degrees. That was a novel experience to me but par for the course to you Midwesterners, I suppose :-)
Wind, sleet and rain sounds like March here, actually. I would feel very much at home. Not that I enjoy it much :-)
@JyrkiLahtonen Indeed! When I was in St. Louis MO at Wash, I went for a "prospective visit" flown in with about 10 other candidates on a Feb. 20. It was fairly warm there, but not exceptionally for the time of year. Undergrads were flying frisbees on the quad, fully of lush green grass, picnicking, etc. It was a delightful respite from WI! I did attend Wash U while a grad student in Philosophy, and it's seasons were like WI spring, summer, Fall.
@Jyrki Have you visited the review queues in the last couple of days?
@amWhy I'm afraid I have neglected my review duties lately. I have been busy with my group theory course (semi-advanced undergrads, nothing deep). Last lecture tomorrow, and then a one week break. May be I can bounce back then.
@JyrkiLahtonen No problem! I just wanted to mention that SE developers have updated the design, which I've found takes little time to adjust to, but it adds a bit of functionality. I only asked so I could give you heads up, so you aren't startled when checking in at the review queues! Take care of what you need to now!
@MartinR Well, if a professor allows this, it is in fact no "cheating", but what is the purpose to give exercises and knowing/expecting that the students use the internet anyway to solve them ? This has barely a learning effect.
I tried to submit the above message as a link, but I must have done something wrong.
@Peter There is a difference between "allowing students to use the internet" (that is research) and "asking someone else to do their homework for them" (that is either cheating or plagiarism).
Note: my comment is not in reference any particular question asked on Math SE---I am just pointing out that there are times when it is entirely reasonable to tell students to use the internet.
@XanderHenderson I agree, but the user and their posts being addressed were all "asking someone else to answer their test question(s) for them." But in general, given your second comment, I agree. Lesson to be understood: Any question asking for others to do their work for them ought to be out of bounds (that applies to homework, exams, contest questions, etc.)
@amWhy I'm having a little trouble parsing your bolded statement, but if I understand it correctly, you are saying that any question where someone asks the community to do their work for them should be closed. I agree.
@XanderHenderson Sorry, Delete it, or instead of No, replace it with Any. I carelessly sort of did a double negative :( It's too late for me to correct. Else I can delete the comment.
@XanderHenderson One more tweak, if you will: At the end of my third to last previous comments, I wrote "context questions" and I meant "contest questions". I need your mod powers!!!! ;P
This question, though possibly interesting to some readers, is ultimately opinion-based, as it seeks contributions of "visually interesting graphs, like those posted by the OP".
@ParamanandSingh It's been closed and is open for deletion. Some mods have regularly answered PSQs, particularly wrt to integration and series questions. No one goes out of their way to address that, but a PSQ is a PSQ, and part of objectivity is the ability to apply one's standards regardless of whether you know and respect, or know and disrespect, or don't know, the person in question. I am not suggesting you'd be different that that; just that sometimes it feels "icky"
when someone you like or respect answered a question not up to par.
@Peter Probably a good idea. I've said my piece there. The issue is also convoluted by users who always think they have an answer and feel the world needs to hear it, even on opinion-based questions.
