Banning people from DegreeInfo

Earlier today I had a quick look at a Thread concerning the PhD Disseratation written by Rich Douglas, and how Peter French had
been banned from posting at DegreeInfo.
I've just spent a few minutes trying to find this Thread - without
success, but a quick look at AED tells me the Thread has been removed from DegreeInfo.
Whilst we "Kiwi's" can understand an Australian being banned from posting, it would be nice to read an explanation as to why the Thread was removed.
We'd also like to see some comment about why 'kf5k' has been
totally banned.
Dr Anatidae

 

I can understand banning most Australians. But Peter French is a good man. Why ban him for something allegedly done elsewhere?

Don't know kf5k.

Duck hunting season is underway in U.S. You better keep your head down!

 

It wasn't "alleged." Peter's post is on a.e.d. The link was purchased by Suhar using a University of Phoenix account and Suhar's own e-mail address. Also, Suhar commented on what he erroneously thought was my dissertation on the K-W "Pub." Another Degreeinfo denizen sent me that post.

One person purchased it: Suhar. But it was downloaded 64 times from many IP addresses. French posted it on the internet. The facts are clear. What is not so clear is Bruce's action, and the disappearance of what was a rather innocuous thread (except for the virtual death penalty handed down).

I didn't necessarily agree with banning these two guys, especially because their behavior was committed elsewhere. (I said nothing in my post about taking any action--and certainly not about banning them.) But their behavior (Suhar buying the link and giving it to someone else and French posting it on the internet) was outrageous and needed to be shared with this community. Just because it happened elsewhere doesn't mean it shouldn't be considered when interacting with them.

 

Just curious Rich about the posting of your dissertation. Is there a concern or problem or copyright issue with your dissertation being posted, read and discussed by others? My own dissertation is copyrighted, but has been shared, downloaded and used by 25 or so other people. I am just being curious.

 

It wasn't my dissertation. It was an internal document that Union does not publish. If it had been my dissertation, I would have been irritated about the copyright violation, but this was compounded by Union's mistake in submitting the wrong document.

Stealing is still stealing, by the way, whether it is my dissertation or someone's cash. That participants in this forum would engage in it is worth knowing. What you conclude from it is up to you.

What is comical is that they stole the wrong thing.

By the way, how many people who've downloaded your dissertation have contacted your school, employer, regional accreditor, other employer, etc. and say the things about you that are said on a.e.d.? That might have some impact on your conclusions about this.

 

Why cavil at Bruce's actions?

 

I reconsidered my original actions, and I simply moved the thread into the Admin forum, until we (moderators) can decide what to do. As of right now, no one is banned in relation to that thread.

 

I might me new at this so please bear with me

Hello guys,
I am afraid you have me at a disadvantage... Is AED an international organization or only operates in the USA, and Rich, how were the two gentlemen able to lift your thesis? I am curious about things like plagiarism and thesis lifting, since I have been a victim in the past...

 

Re: I might me new at this so please bear with me

In short:

Suhar buys an electronic copy from UMI.

UMI creates a link to the electronic document (.pdf format).

UMI keeps the link open for 72 hours so facilitate downloading, but doesn't limit the number of downloads.

French posts the link to the a.e.d. newsgroup. No indication how he has it, but Suhar was the only one to purchase the document.

The document is downloaded a total of 64 times, a lot for a one-copy license.

It isn't even my dissertation. It is my Program Summary. (Search this board for information about the Program Summary at Union.)

I post this information here.

Bruce bans them.

Bruce cans the thread without explanation.

(I never suggested any action against them, including banning.)

Bruce un-bans them.


I don't care what Degreeinfo moderators do, only that they make whatever actions they take clear to others. Really, I just wanted to expose the behaviors of these two, expressing that I feel they violated the ethos of this community, even though their actions took place outside the community. When they returned I hoped, people would see them in a different light. Suhar for giving away something that was mine, not his, to give, and French for the vile, dirty, nasty things he likes to say elsewhere (where he can get away with it, unlike here). I simply wanted others to know.

 

That is kind of similar to what happened to me for one of my projects for my Bachelors degree 5 years ago. The funny thing used to happen in our computer labs that there were scripts running to backup all information from floppy disks, zips and even CDs... A bad idea when you're running windows 95!!

Some sicko got his hands on my sourcecode and final project report. The jerk copied it variable for variable and word for word, and submitted it with his name on it... Not only was he charged with plagiarism, but got me tangled too since I had the same report. The committe could not verify at first, who copied who's work. After the first hearing, the CIS department checked the computer logs and verified that indeed my backup had been made first. The security features we tightened at the computer labs thereafter: No more backups on the local drive...

It was the longest two weeks of my life And it happened in the first year of my post secondary studies...

The university had also sent a warning letter at my residance regarding academic misconduct (which was followed by a letter of apology, and clearance of my record thank goodness), so you can imagine the kind of mental anguish I and my family had to go through at first, even though I was innocent...

To me, plagiarism and copying is a touchy topic; it was only due to this that I had asked for details. Thanks for sharing.

 

When I was an undergraduate, we had an engineering drawing course for which we had to complete a portfolio of technical drawings (drawn manually -- before the days of CAD stations, personal computers, etc.). One student stole another's portfolio and handed it in as his own (leaving the originator without drawings, and thus causing him to fail the class and adding a year to his graduation date). This was one time that I was pleased to be inept at drawing -- nobody would think of stealing my portfolio!

 

Are Suhar and French two different people? If so, why, when I search this forum for user name "suhar", do I get a bunch of messages signed "Peter French"?

 

Definitely two different people (and with markedly different styles and personalities, though I like 'em both).

My guess is that there's a database glitch from the banning and unbanning of these two.

On the other hand, who wouldn't want to be Peter French?

 

He's not a bigot and he doesn't appear to be a fraud or a shill. He was banned for the same reason half the people here are banned. I don't think I can tell you though.

 

Peter French and Richard Suhar have been around a long time on different forums with distinct personnas.

 

Rich, I was not making any conclusions about your dissertation or its availability, I was just being curious about its being downloaded and what the problem was. I did not intend to raise any negative perceptions. In my case, even though it is copyrighted I have made it freely available to others doing similar research. Thanks for your response.

 

Re: Re: Banning people from DegreeInfo

Come on Dennis - you can tell us, it will be our little secret.

 

On a side note to this, have you noticed that many of the threads here are cut and pasted into other forums, so those banned can keep up to date with the recent posts. It seems degree info is as big of a topic than the other DL subjects on other forums.

When I first came here there were a few posters that were very rude, and the moderators didn't step in, and explained the situation that they don't try to step in if they don't have to. I guess I can understand.

Anyway, I have enjoyed the conversations and information. Like I have said in other postings, many of the messages here are very criptic to me, like you are all in a secret society and I haven't been shown the handshake. I take a great deal away with many of the postings though.

 

My contacts tell me that 'kf5k' was banned because he said something rude about DegreeInfo on another DL forum.
Perhaps Bruce could elaborate on this?
Dr Anatidae

 

I don't think it is polite to talk about banned people for a number of reasons. (for example they can't respond) It is even less polite for a moderator to discuss it, IMHO. On the other hand, I'm a rude fellow so will discuss the kf5k banning a little bit.

My perspective was that kf5k had lost contact with reality. This would be insufficient for banning but he was claiming some ridiculous thing about DegreeInfo being dishonest because they didn't accept advertising from unaccredited schools. He was also IMHO, getting personal with some of his comments directed against others.