I see cheating as Bad Behavior. And, like for instance - here, if someone exhibits Bad Behavior, they're gonna get called on it, by whatever the parameters are. Here, those parameters are in thread then we go to the Stompies, etc. The parameters for vw are to report it to the prof. Which was the right thing to do, IMHO.

Who would hire a graduate of Cheaters State University?

I think this was how Rove's career took off actually. He was involved in a minor election, played some really nasty political tricks and got noticed.

And I am a bit of a grade whore

I don't think there is a cure for this one. At least none I've found yet.

And now I'm earwormed with "Ain't No Cure For Love."

And deserved

This.

And deserved.

Yeah, I'm not so righteous (note: righteous, not self righteous) in my moral choices that I'm going to fuck somebody else's life up to enforce my values.

Cheaters become incompetent at anything but cheating. That will catch up with them. (In most cases.)

As for the more general damage to academic probity or damage to an institution, I think of that on balance against fostering a culture of informing on others. That has its own - and to my mind even more -pernicious effects.

Moreover, the cheaters don't learn what they need to know to be a good nurse, and boy howdy is that going to be a problem when they go to take the licensing exam. Four years of nursing school down the toilet.

But what if they squeak by or manage to cheat on that too and some day I end up with a shitty nurse? Honor codes exist for a reason, not just "its good to be good".

There's a reason why snitch, tattletale, informer, rat, narc are all such unpleasant words.

Yeah, because people like to get away with shit. Vilifing the people who don't let you is just a means to that end.

The fact that they were doing it so openly and blatantly makes me think they're entitled little shits who never get called on anything. I'll admit a special hate-on for such folks.

And... any honor code I'm familiar with you turn them in or you're in violation yourself. If one has a problem with that one shouldn't agree to it in the first place.

in happier news, OTTERS WILL NOT BE MOVED! [link]

Who would hire a graduate of Cheaters State University?

Well if graduates of CSU don't want to go into politics, they can work at Enron or Haliburton.

Allegedly.

Then again, when I was at BU I did feel a stronger loyalty to my peers than to my teachers, because I didn't feel like the teachers were making the effort to actually teach, and the students were very much on our own. I felt that the teachers had pretty much broken the compact that says, "the students work on learning, and the teacher helps them."

Whoa, Emily - I didn't know you went to BU. I did too (CLA '88). And I know exactly what you're talking about, though there were, blessedly, some very specific exceptions (at least one of which was my very first freshman semester which helped enormously in terms of going foreward) where the teacher was really amazing, including a few who were handling larger classes.

Yeah, I'm not so righteous (note: righteous, not self righteous) in my moral choices that I'm going to fuck somebody else's life up to enforce my values.

But cheating isn't just *your* value to enforce. I would gather that most professors frown upon cheating as would deans, presidents of universities/colleges, etc.

If you knew of someone who was lying to get ADC or food stamps, would you turn them in?

That has its own - and to my mind even more -pernicious effects.

I don't feel qualified to weigh the relative perniciousness, but I do see what you're saying -- either way can be seen as part of a slippery slope. Everyone telling on everyone for anything leads to an atmosphere of no trust and fascism. But no one reporting anything leads to a situation where only cheaters prosper, and short-term gain is the highest good.